CFS volunteer firefighters give up Christmas to keep people safe from bushfires at Cudlee Creek, Kangaroo Island
Volunteer firefighters from across the state and the broader South Australian community have wrapped their arms around the fire-ravaged Adelaide Hills.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The heroic volunteer firefighters who answered the call of the Cudlee Creek bushfire have been praised for stopping even more widespread devastation.
Premier Steven Marshall yesterday toured the Adelaide Hills fireground at Woodside and was in awe at the work being done by Country Fire Service volunteers.
“It is an absolute miracle that there haven’t been more lives lost with this tragedy,” he said. “There’s still a lot of work to be done, and I’m very grateful for the men and women who will be working not only today, but they will be working on Christmas Day to make sure that there’s no escalation in the fires.”
The Hills fire claimed the life of 69-year-old Ron Selth, burned 25,000ha of land, destroyed more than 80 homes and killed hundreds of animals. More than 2000 firefighters have answered the call since the Hills fire broke out on Friday, while volunteer crews have also being sent to fight the Kangaroo Island blaze over Christmas.
A group of 13 farm firefighters arrived from the state’s Mid North to help extinguish hot spots in the Hills.
The volunteers left Port Augusta in their own utes at 6am and, within a few hours, were putting out hot spots on a Brukunga property.
Booleroo farm firefighting co-ordinator Nigel Clogg said they made their own decision to help, with the approval of the CFS. He said all of the 13 volunteers were affected by the 2014 Bangor fire and wanted to lend a hand.
“Being close to Christmas, people wanted to help, so (they) called their own private vehicles down, supported by a water tanker the CFS offered,” Mr Clogg said. “We’ve been welcomed with open arms.”
Mr Clogg said farm firefighting units, which proved critical in last month’s Yorketown fire, were an essential force in battling blazes.
“You can’t put a price on it. If you co-ordinate them properly, they are a force.”
Adelaide Hills Mayor Jan-Claire Wisdom said it was moving to see firefighters from across the state coming to help the Hills community.
“It was humbling to be there this morning and see tired volunteers, who had been out all night, and to look over and see my neighbours and council staff,” she said.
“People here are incredibly grateful and impressed by the magnificent effort of the volunteers. Their training kicked in and the morale is high. I am just hoping they can keep it up over the coming days.”
Ms Wisdom said she had faith that the Hills community would band together in the wake of the devastation.
“This will affect our community but we are strong. It will become a part of our collective community DNA and we will become stronger from it,” she said.
Cambrai CFS volunteer Simon Nuske, who had been in the thick of the firefighting action since Friday, said it was the worst bushfire he had seen.
“The thing that made it hard was the wind kept changing … it’s like we were going around in circles in some places,” Mr Nuske said.
He spent time with his family yesterday, visiting Father Christmas at Melba’s Chocolates in Woodside, ahead of a gruelling 14-hour firefighting shift on Christmas Day.
“I’ve been there, it’s not fun. You just got to find joy among it all somehow. It’s difficult, but it’s possible,” said Mr Nuske, who fought fires on Christmas Day in Victoria four years ago.
Meanwhile, 67 CFS firefighters and support staff have given up Christmas celebrations with their families to help battle bushfires in NSW.
