Local firies fly south

A number of volunteers firefighters from the Clarence Valley have been sent down to Tasmania to assist in the bushfire emergency.

Clarence Valley volunteers Paul Johnston, Kirra Innes, Scott Campbell and Cody Jones with interstate crews in Tasmania. Picture: Peter Le Breton

VOLUNTEER firefighters will often travel long distances to get to a fire, but some local members are travelling thousands of kilometres to lend a hand.

Rural Fire Service firefighters from around the Clarence Valley have been sent to Tasmania to help battle the devastating bushfires burning around the state.

Clarence Valley RFS Operations Officer Ian Smith says that local members have been assisting in a variety of ways at the Gell River fire near Adamstown as well as at Lake Judd and Lake Rhona.

"We have been doing this since just before Australia Day and is expected to go at least until the end of this month,” he said

"Six members are aviation specialists, the people on the ground filling up the aircraft with water and fuel or talking to the aircraft on the radios.”

When a bushfire emergency reaches a certain level, it is commonplace for other states, regions and agencies to step in.

"Its pretty good we are able to assist those other guys because there are times when they certainly step up and give us a hand,” he said

"It's not only Clarence Valley that are sending crews down, there are members from all over the state from RFS and National Parks and Wildlife

"The camaraderie between members from all agencies is always great to see

Under Snow. Picture: Peter Le Breton

"We had major fire activity in August last year and when that happened we had people from all over the state come up and help out the Clarence Valley.”

Some members of RFS crews are part of the 'Arduous Group' who have undertaken advanced training as part of a push to up-skill members in the area. The result will be a greater ability to deal with fire activity in the Clarence Valley area and the creation of a Remote Area Fire Team (RAFT).

"Four of our Arduous members have been to Tasmania on two deployments in the past month, taking time away from their families to help out their fellow firefighters in Tasmania,” He said

"To be part of the Arduous program members need to be qualified as advanced firefighters. That means they have an intimate knowledge of fire behaviour

"It's something I'm passionate about and I enjoy up-skilling the rest of our guys, we are building a really solid team at the moment

"Typically when we have had remote fires around Buccarumbi and Nymboida we have had to call on local neighbouring districts like Glen Innes and Northern rivers.

Originally published as Local firies fly south