The Australian Firefighters International Relief and Education (AFIRE) staff were on hand and were able to size up the fire and detail a quick plan. Senior Station Officer Shaun McRoberts from CFA's Hallam brigade was one of the crew involved in the firefight and took charge at the incident, setting up sectors on the fire.
The job was a large, multiagency incident and communication was difficult. Assisting on scene were Cambodian Fire Recue, Cambodian Internal Ministry Anti Terrorism Task Force Response, a private oil company's fire response, water police, military police and the Port Authority's tug boat.
After ensuring a good water relay and good water supply from water police, crews concentrated efforts on the head of the fire to quickly bring the rapid fire spread under control.
Once the fire was blackened out, residents quickly entered their premises to search for wire and metal scrap to sell at market to buy a tent for the night.
AFIRE was established in 2006 by Australian firefighters who were prepared to donate their time and expertise to assist fire services in Cambodia and other developing countries.
AFIRE's mission is to create a self sustainable emergency service capable of providing safe and effective emergency response in all emergency incidents.
For more information on AFIRE, see CFA firefighters in Cambodia
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