Edithburgh Country Fire Service calls for help after desperate fight to save town
There’s been a desperate bid for more volunteer firefighters as it’s revealed one of the towns closest to disaster this week has just a handful of active CFS members. And they’re not the only ones.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Schoolkids’ beautiful cards for their CFS heroes
- Full Digital access, $5 per month for the first 3 months
- HOW TO JOIN THE SA COUNTRY FIRE SERVICE
The firefighters who helped save Edithburgh from a ferocious fire that came within metres of the town’s doorstep have made a desperate call for more volunteers.
The Edithburgh Country Fire Service brigade has just six active volunteers and has faced the prospect of closure for the past six years, because of low membership numbers.
“It’s challenging – we can only work with what we’ve got,” Captain Leith Smith, a father of two, said.
“It doesn’t take a real lot of your own time to become a volunteer and I think it’s good to support your own community.”
Three of the brigade’s firefighters joined more than 200 from across SA to fight Wednesday’s blaze, which started on the outskirts of Yorketown and tore across 5000ha.
At least five homes were destroyed and several more damaged in the fire – caused by an electrical fault – before it was contained Thursday evening.
But as the dangerous reality of bushfires began to dawn on the tiny town of about 500 people, three new volunteers signed up to the brigade on Friday morning.
The brigade needs at least 15 to warrant staying open.
In Yorketown, there are more than 20 volunteers in its CFS brigade.
Yorke Peninsula mayor Darren Braund doesn’t want a devastating fire to be a catalyst for anything, but it may prompt people to sign up.
CFS chief officer Mark Jones said all rural brigades face the prospect of closure due to dwindling population.
“We don’t want to close any of them, we want all of our stations and brigades to stay active,” he told The Advertiser.
“More people are moving away, farms are getting bigger, so there are fewer people on the ground.”
Emergency Services Minister Corey Wingard is equally as hopeful to bolster the state’s ranks of 13,000 CFS volunteers – 10,000 of which are firefighters.
“The CFS do so much in their community, fighting fires is one thing but there are so many more things that are done within a CFS organisation,” he said while visiting Edithburgh yesterday.
“It’s a great social point for people to gather in small communities such as this and they give so much back.”
Mr Wingard was joined by Premier Steven Marshall in Yorketown and Edithburgh, who described the fire scenes as “devastating”, but was inspired by the community’s resilience.
“I’ve never felt as proud as I do today as Premier of South Australia with so many different organisations coming together to do what they can for our friends here …” he said.
“The fact that there has been no human loss of life is a miracle, because the conditions on Wednesday were catastrophic.”
Mr Wingard also said the Government would release a bushfire information smartphone app in the next few weeks and it will be built around New South Wales RFS “Fires Near Me” app.
Mr Jones said two firefighters had been injured, but were expected to make a full recovery.
For more information on joining the SA Country Fire Service, click here.
