Big test for our fireys

Today Tasmanians face a day of very high to severe fire danger and a total fire ban is in place for the North and South.

Members of the Magra Fire Brigade, from left, Wayne Marshall, Dallas Featherstone and Andrew Pegg. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

SIX years ago to the day one of Tasmania’s worst bushfires in half a century ripped through the Forestier and Tasman peninsulas destroying more than 100 homes and businesses and almost wiping out the townships of Dunalley and Boomer Bay.

On the same day a significant fire at Lake Repulse in the Derwent Valley burnt more than 12,000ha and another at Bicheno on the East Coast destroyed 19 structures.

Amazingly no one died on the day but many were forced to flee to nearby waterways as the firefront swept through.

The overall cost to the fire-hit communities was huge — some took two years to rebuild while others never recovered. The Insurance Council of Australia estimated the preliminary damage of the Tasmanian fires to be $89 million. An inquiry into the disaster made 103 recommendations relating to fire and police operations, traffic management, community warnings and communications.

One of the key recommendations related to better communication between emergency services. The inquiry found that the Tasmania Fire Service and Tasmania Police operated on different radio systems which led to confusion and a switch to rely on mobile phone and the internet, which then became inoperable when fire destroyed electricity and phone infrastructure.

In November last year the Government called for tenders to supply a shared communications platform. It’s a shame a system isn’t already in place for the current fire season.

Today Tasmanians face a day of very high to severe fire danger and a total fire ban is in place for the North and South. Temperatures are expected to approach 40C in the South-East with strong and strengthening northwesterly winds ahead of a cool change expected this afternoon.

Fire crews will be fighting more than a dozen fires already burning across the state and others will be on standby to respond quickly to any flare-ups.

STATE ON HIGH ALERT AS TOTAL FIRE BAN DECLARED

FIRE CREWS ON STANDBY AS TEMPERATURES SOAR

Among them will be fireys like Andrew Pegg, Dallas Featherstone and Wayne Marshall — three of more than 5000 volunteers across the state who give up their time to protect communities.

The trio will be on duty ready to take action at Magra fire station just out of New Norfolk in the Derwent Valley.

“We basically go anywhere,” Mr Pegg said. “We travelled for four hours return to help out at Lake Sorell on Wednesday, who knows where we could go tomorrow.”

They put their lives on hold to stand against dangers in stifling heat.

Mr Pegg said fighting fires side-by-side built bonds which brought the crews closer together.

“We’re just like a small family,” he said.

It’s a family we owe a debt of gratitude to as they go about their work.

Their bravery, skill and hard work will be put to the test in some of the summer’s hottest conditions today and for the rest of the fire season.