NSW Bushfires: Riverina Rural Fire Service’s Bradley Stewart praises volunteers and residents for responses to NSW bushfires
The massive scale of the recent bushfire emergency saw one Rural Fire Service team so stretched it had 20-25 fire trucks going and up to 158 volunteers on the ground over just one day.
The Wagga News
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HE has been deployed to countless fires, including eight in the past 12 months, but Riverina Rural Fire Service’s Bradley Stewart said the devastating Snowy Mountain and Greater Hume bushfires have been the “hardest and most complex in size and resources” in his 25 years of service.
Mr Stewart cited the Dunns Road fire in particular, which began in early January then merged with two others across the NSW-Victoria border to form a mega-blaze that has burnt nearly 600,000 hectares.
“In terms of the fire’s scale and the responses to it by emergency services, it’s right up there,” said Mr Stewart, operational and public liaison officer at the Riverina RFS centre.
The 42-year-old, who cancelled his Christmas leave to help his fellow firefighters, said it was “full on at its peak” when he was on the fire grounds for about 10 days with one day off.
“We issued eight emergency alerts on January 3 and did 11 community meetings in eight or nine days,” he said.
“Anecdotally, about 90 per cent of people living in the path of the Dunns Road fire elected to leave after the meetings.”
Supporting Mr Stewart in his role on the ground and in being a conduit between the RFS and the public are his fellow volunteers, whom he described as “absolutely mind-blowing”.
On one day alone, the Riverina RFS had 20-25 fire trucks and up to 158 volunteers helping with the fires.
“Our aviation brigade has had some huge days — one day recently, they loaded 98 planes with retardant, so they're taking anywhere between 2500 to 3000 litres of fluid and they were turning the planes around every five to six minutes at the Wagga air base,” Mr Stewart said.
While the RFS may be at the front line, Mr Stewart also praised other authorities who provided support on the ground for those displaced.
“It’s also the State Emergency Services and Volunteer Rescue Association,” he said.
“We've had council workers up there driving heavy vehicles. We’ve had NSW Fire and Rescue. It's been a massive undertaking. The army reserve has done multiple shifts up there providing logistical support, too.”
Mr Stewart also praised those supporting quietly behind the scenes, including those who overflowed donation centres with food and supplies.
“The other thing that needs to be pointed out are the partners, children, family and employers who've released their employees,” he said.
As for the fires right now, most are being controlled or under control, with recent rain and easing conditions helping.
“We have sound strategies in place to try to bring the fires to a point that we can say they’re contained,” Mr Stewart said.
Across the state, the bushfires have claimed more than 30 lives, including firefighter Samuel McPaul, who was tragically killed while fighting the Green Valley fire at the border.
Earlier this week, three US residents were killed after a water bombing aircraft on contract with the NSW RFS crashed while working on bushfires in the Snowy Monaro.