Bundeena truck fire: RFS volunteers slam motorist abuse
Local fireys raced to the scene of a truck fire in bushland south of Sydney, perilously close to nearby residential suburbs. But police are now investigating reports a resident they sought to protect allegedly verbally abused firefighters over the road closures.
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Police are investigating reports a motorist verbally abused volunteer firefighters working to extinguish a truck fire near bushland in Sydney’s south.
Just before 6pm on Tuesday Fire + Rescue Bundeena, Bundeena Rural Fire Service and Maianbar Rural Fire Service attended the truck fire at the intersection of Bundeena Dr and Maianbar Rd in the Royal National Park.
Bundeena RFS later stated on Facebook a motorist allegedly abused volunteer fireys fighting the blaze due to the associated road closure.
“Being locals ourselves, we fully understand the inconvenience of the road being closed and will always do what we can to get traffic moving as soon as it’s safe to do so,” the brigade stated on Facebook.
“This kind of behaviour is not acceptable and a report was lodged with attending officers from NSW Police.”
A NSW Police spokeswoman confirmed they had received a report and inquiries into the incident were continuing.
Fire + Rescue NSW used the high pressure hose reel to extinguish flames in the bush around the truck, while the Maianbar RFS used their truck-mounted, hands-free firefighting apparatus to douse the truck’s cabin.
“Upon arrival, Bundeena RFS crew in breathing apparatus along with FRNSW and Maianbar RFB extinguished the fire which was contained to the cab,” Bundeena RFS stated on Facebook.
“Thank you to members of the public who waited patiently while the road was closed.”
The truck blaze came after a tense weekend for the Sutherland Shire and the northern Illawarra when a hazard reduction burn escaped containment lines near Waterfall.
Local RFS brigades including Waterfall, Engadine, Heathcote and Grays Point attended the Abaroo hazard reduction burn on the western side of the Princes Highway, along with the Kangaroo Ridge bushfire on the east side in the Royal National Park.
NSW RFS’ Sutherland Shire District’s Inspector Scott Deller said on Facebook that introducing fire into the landscape is inherently risky after the weekend’s events.
“If fuel loads are high and conditions are dry, you need to be more cautious, particularly with lower humidity and changes in wind strength,” Insp Deller wrote.
“Looking at recent events locally, there will be community scrutiny surrounding the safe implementation of hazard reduction burning – as there should be.
“In any event, when things don’t go to plan, it will be subject to review by the various agencies who participated.”
