Inside mammoth Mallacoota Black Summer bushfires as heroes honoured
Cops who fought back flames in Mallacoota’s devastating Black Summer bushfires have been honoured for their bravery protecting citizens sheltered inside the CFA station.
Victoria
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Two police officers who courageously fought back flames threatening Mallacoota’s CFA station as citizens sheltered inside during the Black Summer bushfires have been honoured for their bravery.
As apocalyptic scenes from 2019/20 East Gippsland fires were beamed around the world, dedicated emergency workers were focused on the mission at hand — protecting the community they serve.
Leading Senior Constables Graham Shoobert and Glenn Powell from the Gippsland Water Police will be awarded Victoria Police’s Medal for Courage at a special ceremony on Monday.
The pair heroically protected Mallacoota’s CFA building on New Year’s Eve 2019 when it came under direct fire attack, saving the lives of ten civilians who were sheltering inside.
They were assisted by Mallacoota’s Leading Senior Constable Angus Webb, whose local knowledge proved pivotal in defending an adjoining police residence as well as nearby SES and surf lifesaving bases.
Their quick-thinking efforts to use CFA fire fighting equipment to help suppress the raging inferno ensured vital assets remained functional as the popular holiday town became isolated for weeks.
CAME OUT OF NOWHERE
The sky was pitch black as a massive wall of flames surrounded the CFA station.
Thousands of embers were flying everywhere while the fire was towering 30 meters into the sky.
Then Mallacoota CFA captain Rod Lewis was defending the quick-moving blaze at his beloved station when the police trio arrived.
“All hell broke loose, it was bloody horrific,” he said of the fire.
“You couldn’t keep up with it, it was getting out of hand — I’d even caught fire myself.
“I was thinking the worst. Then three guys came out of nowhere, through the flames, to check on us. I said ‘thank f*** you guys turned up. I didn’t have to ask, they just grabbed the hose and didn’t stop.”
He knew the survival of the station held the key to Mallacoota’s long-term recovery.
“They did a bloody good job, it was a full blown effort,” he said.
“We were at war with a greater enemy and somehow we survived because of them.”
Mr Lewis said he was personally indebted to the trio as his wife Rose and three children Rheyne, now 4, Jamiel, 9, and Ma-Bonifel, 17, were sheltering in the station’s shower room.
UNDER ATTACK
Emergency crews had a sleepless night as they tracked the fire’s movements hour-by-hour before it impacted the town.
Leading Senior Constable Shoobert, who has served in the force for 43 years, said the ferocious fire created its own weather pattern.
“We could see the fire front coming and we couldn’t do anything to stop it,” he said.
“You could see the embers just kicking forward in front of the fire and it was going fast. It was a big line of fire.”
And then the unimaginable happened.
“Somebody yelled out that the fire station was on fire,” he said.
“You look up on the roof and the skylights, which should have been clear, had started catching fire. Then we were attacked by embers, they were flying everywhere.
“We had to do something so we grabbed a full fire hose and there was three of us working the hose, carefully manovering it so it didn’t kink.
“We just kept trying to keep the hot embers off the roof to stop it from catching fire.
“All the trees surrounding us were exploding, the fire just embellished them. It was a hot rush of air. The heat was super intense, it takes its toll on your body. It felt like forever, it just went on and on.”
NO LIVES LOST
More than 100 properties were destroyed in the district as a result of the unforgiving natural disaster but no lives were lost — something Leading Senior Constable Powell takes immense pride in.
“It is probably the scariest situation I’ve ever been in, it was relentless,” he said.
“We had watched the fire approaching for hours, we knew what was coming. It was waiting for the inevitable and then the inevitable came.
“We went into preservation mode and did the best we could to look after the community.”
By comparison 173 people died in the disastrous 2009 Black Saturday fires which ravaged throughout Victorian towns including Marysville and Kinglake.
“I’m proud of our efforts, we didn’t lose anyone and there were no serious injuries,” he said.
“A lot of property was lost and that was devastating, but everyone walked out alive.”
After several hours defending the CFA station, the fire passed and the reality of what could’ve been was realised by those sheltering inside, all who were beholden to the police officers for their bravery.
THINKING AHEAD
Days before the NYE inferno authorities urged residents and holiday makers to flee the tiny town — but as many as 4000 people stayed.
Both Shoobert and Powell were integral in helping people seek safety at the beach and relief centre.
“Mallacoota only has one road in and one road out — we were trying to get as many people to leave as possible,” Shoobert said.
“But instead of leaving people wanted to go out on the lake, sit on the beach and think everything was going to be rosy.
“We had to think about what we would do when it hit and how to look after the people on the ground. We knew properties would be destroyed but having people contained in a safe area was always what we wanted to do. Our safe haven was the foreshore and the fire station.”
Days later Mallacoota made international headlines when the Australian Defence Force evacuated 1305 people, 162 dogs, three cars, one rabbit and one parakeet on the HMAS Choules.
It would become the largest maritime evacuation in Australian history.
MEDALS FOR MERIT
The Victoria Police Medal for Merit will be awarded to six water police squad members who helped to evacuate Eden on January 5 in 2020.
Police recognised are Leading Senior Constables Michael Newstead, Glenn Mackenzie, Mark Hurwood, Scott Conolan and Dean Leicester along with Leading Senior Constable Shoobert.
Eden came under ember attack when a firefront hit the town with southwest winds of up to 35 knots.
The squad evacuated 10 people and a dog from a naval munitions wharf in Twofold Bay.
They also ferried supplies including water, food and medical essentials into the isolated NSW town.
Gippsland Water Police boss Sergeant Tony Wilson said he was proud of the team.
“They went to rescue people, putting others first,” he said.
“There was zero visibility which prevented aircraft from doing evacuations so a marine response was the only option for escape. Other than jumping in the water, boat was their only option to come out alive.”
The awards will be presented at the Gippsland Water Police Squad’s Paynesville headquarters tomorrow.
ABOVE AND BEYOND
The officers from Gippsland’s Water Police who served during the Black Summer bushfires remain humble about their efforts.
“They were Johnny-on-the-spot and worked 24/7,” Sgt Wilson said.
“It was an amazing effort, their dedication was second to none. They have gone well above the call of duty. I am proud to have them as members of my unit.”
Of his awards, Leading Senior Constable Shoobert said: “I’m pretty humbled to receive them, I didn’t ask for any of it. Glenn and Angus did a tremendous job.”
Leading Senior Constable Powell added: “We kept everyone safe, everyone walked away from Mallacoota alive. Without the other two guys we could not have done it, it is as simple as that.”
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