NSW Bushfires: Canadian wildfire specialist lends expertise

Firefighters are working to continue containment efforts in the Blue Mountains ahead of Saturday’s forecast dangerous fire conditions — and specialists from Canada and America are bolstering their efforts.

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Experts from Canada and America are helping more than 75 firefighters continue to “mop up” and patrol the Grose Valley and Ruined Castle fires.

Incident controller David Crust said the international experts, including wildfire management specialist Ed Trenchard, are using today’s more favourable weather conditions to get ahead of tomorrow’s predicted dangerous conditions when temperatures in Katoomba are predicted to hit 37 degrees with west to north-westerly winds.

“They’re large and extensive fire areas; we obviously need to be vigilant,” Mr Crust said.

Supplied image from pilot and air attack supervisor Joel Kerley, from Idaho in the US, as he fought a fire in Blackheath on New Year’s Eve.

Due to the extraordinary work of firefighters over Christmas the Grose Valley and Ruined Castle fires have been listed as contained.

But there is still a very high fire danger with more than 100 fires burning across the state.

“The weather’s bad on Saturday, so people need to be aware of conditions,” Mr Crust, who is also the Blue Mountains director of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, said.

Blue Mountains director of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, David Crust, is pictured at the Blue Mountains Fire Control Centre. Picture: Isabell Petrinic

For Mr Trenchard, the unprecedented scale of what has been burnt in NSW, the volume of volunteer firefighters engaged and the temperature highs they endure is nothing short of “astounding”.

“We don’t use volunteers on our wildfires,” Mr Trenchard, a plan section chief in Alberta, Canada, said.

“We do see high winds and high humidity but our fires would be (fought) in high 30 temperatures.”

Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Plan Section Chief, Ed Trenchard, is in NSW assisting the Rural Fire Service for 38 days, departing on January 25. Picture: Isabell Petrinic

He is here under the Exchange of Wildland Fire Management Resources Agreement between Australia and Canada, supporting the Blue Mountains Fire Control Centre with its backburning operations.

While we’ve helped Canada fight bushfires before, it is the first time Canada has helped us under this agreement, Mr Trenchard said.

“I specialise in long-term planning of fires on a landscape — backburning is part of it,” Mr Trenchard said.

Jemby-Rinjah Eco Lodge in Blackheath was destroyed by an out of control fire on New Year’s Eve. Picture: www.matrixnews.com.au

He is joined at Blue Mountains Fire Control Centre in Katoomba by an air attack supervisor, air base manager and air operations manager; all from America.

“There are 51 Canadians in Australia right now, all on incident management teams, with 15 enroute,” Mr Trenchard said.

Current situation

• Grose Valley: Fire continues to burn in the valley to the north of Great Western Highway and near Darling Causeway. If you are in the areas of Blackheath and in the Blue Mountains, particularly on the northern side of the highway, monitor conditions. Know what you will do if the fire threatens.
• Ruined Castle: In the Narrow Neck Plateau area fire has burnt through the area between Bellbird Ridge and Coxs River and backburning was completed along Black Jerry’s Fire Trail in a bid to stop the fires progression north. Crews continue to patrol, mop up and blackout remaining hotspots along Black Jerry’s Fire Trail and around properties near Cox’s River. Be aware of the dangers of trees and branches falling.
• Greater Lithgow area including Lithgow, Marrangaroo, Ben Bullen, Newnes, Wolgan Valley, Capertee, Glen Davis: There is still active fire in the area.
• Bells Line of Road including areas between Clarence to Bilpin: Fire has passed through this area on both sides of Bells Line of Road. Be aware of the danger of falling trees and branches.
• Lower Grose Valley, Mountain Lagoon and Blaxland Ridge including Kurrajong Heights, Kurrajong, Bowen Mountain and Yarramundi: Firefighters, supported by water bombing aircraft, are working to establish containment lines near Linden Ridge.

Firefighters attend the Jemby-Rinjah Eco Lodge fire in Blackheath on December 31. Picture: www.matrixnews.com.au

Other information

• Stay up to date on bushfires in your area by checking the NSW RFS website, listening to your local radio station, or calling the RFS Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737.
• People with respiratory conditions should activate their health management plan and seek medical advice if necessary. Take precautions, such as staying indoors and closing windows.
• For information on road closures, check Live Traffic NSW.
• Monitor weather conditions and weather warnings at Bureau of Meteorology.
• Anyone who sees suspicious or illegal behaviour is urged to contact police via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.