‘Leave immediately’: Rural firefighters ‘concerned’ after Wieambilla shooting

Volunteer firefighters working to put out blazes in Wieambilla have expressed concern for their safety following the fatal ambush of two police officers and a neighbour.

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Volunteer firefighters working to put out blazes in Wieambilla and the Western Downs area have expressed concern for their safety while moving through remote properties following the fatal ambush of two police officers and a neighbour in December.

And it is understood firefighters have been told to leave immediately should a landowner express any unhappiness about volunteers being on their property.

QFES Rural Fire Service regional manager Wayne Waltisbuhl told The Courier-Mail that crews received “advice” after Wieambilla resident Alan Dare was murdered alongside Constables Rachel McCrow, 29, and Matthew Arnold, 26 by crazed trio Nathaniel, Stacey and Gareth Train.

Hundreds of Queensland Fire and Emergency Services personnel are working to contain large bushfires are Fairyland and Myall Park.

“We work really closely with our colleagues in police and of course the events that happened at (Wieambilla) made everyone think ‘where we are going and what we are doing’ … I know a lot of (crews) out there were concerned,” he said.

“But a lot of the people out there are locals and understand Tara … to be a local out there you would know exactly the properties that you don’t want to go to, or be cautious about.”

Mr Waltisbuhl said a “clear directive” has also been issued to crews about properties “built in the middle of the bush” commonly referred to as the ‘blocks’.

“We have got to come to this point where we do a property triage and if a property is undefendable due to the landowner doing nothing to support their defence … vegetation right up against property and sheds or overhanging vegetation … we can’t save that.”

Member for Warrego Ann Leahy said “fatigue management” in the Western Downs region has resulted in “relief crews” being tasked to the area.

QFES Rural Fire Service regional manager Wayne Waltisbuhl. Picture: Nev Madsen.

“I think that’s very difficult when you don’t have the local knowledge of who’s who – obviously people are concerned, that’s the disappointing thing because obviously there’s a lot of really good people out there among the community members and the blocks,” she said.

“(The blocks) have been unfortunately labelled by events well beyond their control … I think it is harder the further you get away from that community … harder to understand who they are and why they are there.”

Ms Leahy said St Vincent de Paul and The Wieambilla South Country Club have joined forces to provide a “meeting place” for devastated locals.

Mr Waltisbuhl told The Courier-Mail that Saturday marked day 47 of their bushfire event in the southwest region.

He said there is an “abundance of dry fuel” both in grasslands and forest country with “no end in sight”.

“A lot of the times we’ve been able to get in and respond quickly with a heavy weight of attack, lots of resources hitting fires quickly – our overarching strategy is to respond with aircraft and ground crews at the same time to quickly try and extinguish fires as they start up,” Mr Waltisbuhl said.

Constable Matthew Arnold was shot at close range by camouflage-clad gunmen, during a visit to a property at Wieambilla. Picture: Supplied

Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, was one of two Queensland police officers murdered during an ambush on a property in Wieambilla.

“Day 1 started on January 9 with the fire at Millmerran, we lost three houses there on that day that … that (fire) was accidental … it started when a property owner with a tractor and a stick rake tried to clean up his property to make it fire safe

“(The Western Downs) it’s the driest patch of country within our whole region … in those 47 we have had three days without any ignition.

“The day our colleagues got shot at Wieambilla, a fire was lit that day … we were operating out in that country right up until December 23 – so there was a good fortnight pre-Christmas that we had fires there and down towards Inglewood and the back of Warwick.

“There are about 40-odd fires from mid December through to now and of those at least six have been deliberately lit under suspicious circumstances … the rest have been accidental, welders, slashing, mowing and lighting have been the other causes.”