CFS News
CFS Region 1 Air Operations Brigade
Our formal training session went ahead on 20 December having been deferred from 22 November by the Pizza Shop Covid cluster. At this session, we had an actual aircraft to practice on. After each load, the pilot flew back over the airstrip and demonstrated several different drop techniques.
Our Brigade Captain had organised two less formal training sessions prior to this, using a mock-up of the aircraft connection which we have on site as a training aid. Just as well, because our first call-out for the season was for a grass fire at Lonsdale on the 14th December. We loaded 2 aircraft for that incident.
This was followed by a fire near Education Road in Happy Valley on New Year’s Day. Four aircraft were deployed and we did 25 loads. At the end of this incident, two of the aircraft remained at the airstrip on standby for about an hour so some of us had a good chance to chat to the pilots. Regulations require most aircraft to fly no less than about 150 metres above the terrain. When bombing, these pilots fly at about 20.
Echunga was next on 7th January. We loaded only one aircraft for this incident. There were more drops involved but it appears that the bombers were serviced mainly from their base at Claremont near Brukunga on that occasion.
By far the biggest incident in which we have been involved so far this season – and the closest to home – was the Cherry Gardens fire. We were called out at about 4pm on 24th January. Four hours later, when the bombers stopped flying for the night, we had completed 72 loads.
Next day (the 25th) operations began at 8.25 am and shut down at 10.20 with 3 loads into 2 aircraft but the fire jumped a burn-back line later in the day and the Brigade was called out again at 12.30 to service four aircraft with a total of 13 loads.
We all hope that there will be no more serious incidents of this kind this season, but we do urge you once again to clean up around your place and develop your own Bushfire Plan for your family, which must include a “get out early” provision if you don’t have the capability or the equipment to stay and fight a fire.
We train every Monday night for those who may be interested in what we do.
If you have not thought about this yet, then please stop and get your Bushfire Safety Plan prepared and clean up around your place. You can follow this link to do a 5-minute plan.
https://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/prepare-for-a-fire/5-minute-bushfire-plan/