Desperate calls after NSW fire truck catches fire on the way to a job

In a curious reversal of circumstance a fire truck has caught fire and needed to be put out by firefighters.

A fire truck on the way to a job has caught fire on a New South Wales highway, prompting a fresh wave of union calls for urgent fleet upgrades.

The incident occurred on the Pacific Highway in Central Coast NSW just before midday Tuesday.

The Fire and Rescue NSW truck was called out to an automatic fire alarm job when their vehicle broke down and caught alight.

A Fire and Rescue NSW spokesman told news.com.au that the engine issue was “quickly contained” and that there were no injuries to any crew members.

“A replacement fire truck has been assigned to the crew,” he said.

“The Kariong truck has been taken to FRNSW’s mechanical workshop to determine the cause.”

The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

Dramatic video shows smoke billowing from the truck while fireys hosed the vehicle.

Traffic was forced to a halt along the busy highway, and the truck blocked the intersection.

A second Fire and Rescue vehicle was at the scene and able to combat the blaze and eventually reopen the scene.

A fire truck in NSW caught fire while responding to an automatic fire alarm, raising concerns about the state’s ageing fire truck fleet.

The Fire Brigade Employees Union criticised the NSW government for not upgrading ageing equipment, stressing the need for better resources to ensure firefighter safety. Picture: Supplied/ news.com.au

The incident comes amid longstanding calls to upgrade the Fire Rescue New South Wales truck fleet.

The Fire Brigade Employees Union called for the NSW government to urgently upgrade its ageing fleet shortly after the inferno.

The truck that caught fire was built in 2010, and each truck had a recommended lifespan of 15-20 years.

FBEU state secretary Leighton Drury said it was unacceptable for firefighters to be dealing with such substandard equipment.

“Firefighters are there to put out fires, not their own trucks,” he said.

“We’re the wealthiest state on the 13th wealthiest nation on earth. Surely we can provide our fireys with up-to-date equipment to help protect the lives and property of the people of this state.”

In a budget estimates session earlier this month, Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said Fire and Rescue NSW fleet represented a sizeable force and it was unrealistic to expect immediate upgrades.

Union leaders have stressed the importance of investing in safety equipment for firefighters. Picture: Supplied/ news.com.au

“Look, the full upgrades are ongoing. I think we’ve got 741 trucks, for example,” he said.

“You’re not going to keep upgrading and replacing them all of the time.

“We push as hard as we can in our budget and we’re able to do this, but we’ll continue to work with Fire and Rescue on the resourcing and provide that.

“There is a whole fleet that we have across all of Fire and Rescue. Obviously, we work within the budgets.”

Mr Drury claimed what was already an embarrassing situation could have been catastrophic.

“Some investments are non-negotiable for the government, and the health and safety of people, and their properties is one of them,” he said.

Jihad Dib speaking during NSW parliament Question Time. Picture: NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers

“We’d like to see that critical investment made as a matter of urgency.”

FBEU president Mick Johnsen added that “these incidents demonstrate the negative impact that underfunding is having on our ability to protect life and property”.

“Despite the best efforts of the FRNSW mechanical staff to keep these trucks on the road we do have an ageing fleet and funding for replacement is urgently required.”