CFA crew beaten to fatal fire because they were ‘shopping at Bunnings’
Paid CFA firefighters were beaten to the scene of a fatal fire by volunteers — despite their station being closer to the scene — because the paid crew were at Bunnings buying a gas bottle for a staff barbecue.
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Country Fire Authority paid career firefighters were beaten to the scene of a fatal fire by volunteers because they were at Bunnings buying a gas bottle for a staff barbecue.
A Sunday Herald Sun investigation can reveal concerns about the response to a fire at 13 Vista Cres, Rowville, in February 2015 where Christopher Munday died.
The details have emerged as the CFA was in crisis following the resignation of chief executive Steve Warrington and deputy chief officer Stephanie Rotarangi going on leave.
The fire services have been in crisis in the lead-up to a planned merger between the CFA and the MFB on July 1.
In the Vista Cres incident, volunteer firefighters from the Scoresby CFA branch arrived before career CFA firefighters even though the Rowville station was closer.
Several sources with knowledge of the Rowville fire said the career firefighters were delayed because they were at Bunnings where they were getting a gas bottle for a staff barbecue.
CFA documents in a Victorian Coroner’s report show the Rowville pumper was paged at 2.17pm on February 16 and arrived at 2.27pm. A volunteer crew from Scoresby was paged at the same time and arrived at 2.24pm.
Brad Battin, Liberal member for Gembrook, said the incident raised serious questions.
“A full and thorough investigation needs to be undertaken and if it is the case that firefighters were at Bunnings buying a gas bottle for a barbecue when they should have been attending a fire where someone died then they should no longer be in the job,” he said.
The CFA has defended the Rowville crew, saying a coroner had made no findings against the fire services’ response, and crews had pulled Mr Munday from the building to be treated by paramedics.
The CFA acknowledged “the tragic death of Christopher Munday in a house fire in 2015”.
“CFA is satisfied that all due process was followed and crews did everything they could to save Mr Munday,” a statement read.
A Coroner’s report stated that Mr Munday was unresponsive when he was pulled from the house.
United Firefighters Union secretary Peter Marshall said the Rowville fire was an isolated incident.
“Emergencies can happen at any time, which is why professional firefighters are highly trained and able to respond rapidly — even when they’re away from the station to purchase items for the station. This is why they leave stations — when they need to — with the full crew,” he said.
“The professional firefighters did get to the scene within the response time.”
The Victoria Coroner was also investigating the death of Vivianne Rodger, 55, who died in a house fire in Mill Park in January 2019.
Metropolitan Fire Brigade firefighters went to the wrong address before returning 90 minutes later to find the wheelchair-bound woman dead. The MFB said it could not comment on the incident.