Enroute, it was realised pretty quickly, and with a large column of black and brown smoke seen rising from the area, the address was verified as being in Bucklands Way in Diggers Rest, so Diggers Rest were also paged. With the amount of smoke seen, Station Officer Walsh on Sunbury Tanker 1 requested “Make Tankers 5”.
With Diggers Rest Tanker 2 and Car with DGO Bootle aboard arriving onscene, a “Make Tankers 10” was requested through Vicfire, with a number of flanks burning freely. Due to the fire burning through very heavy serrated tussock and other noxious weeds, the intense heat meant that knocking it down wouldn’t be an easy task. “Serrated Tussock burns about nine times hotter than your usual grasses” explains DGO Bootle.
Sunbury Brigade were already undertaking a prescribed burn on the other side of Sunbury, with fire still active there, so getting tankers from other brigades would need to be arranged.
The quick action by a number of crews prevented further spread of the fire as it jumped properties and roads with the very erratic winds, high temperatures, and in some places, steep and undulating terrain.
A control point was set up on the already parched grass with Mount Cottrell Field Operations Vehicle, with additional Forward Control Vehicles sent out to various sectors to monitor the fire spread.
It was not until well after 3pm that the fire was brought under control. But that is where the hard work had only just begun. With temperatures expected to hit the mid-thirties throughout the week, with northerlies approaching on Monday, it meant that blacking-out operations would need to be extremely thorough. It wouldn’t be until after 7pm when the last appliances left the scene.
Appliances in attendance;
Diggers Rest – Tanker 1, Tanker 2, Car.
Sunbury – Tanker 1, Tanker 2.
Truganina – Car, Welfare Trailer
Wildwood – Tanker 1, Ultralight.
Toolern Vale – Tanker 1.
Gisborne – Tanker 1.
Bulla – Tanker 1.
Melton – Van with DGO Hirt and DGO Dickson aboard.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by Victoria Police.
The Officer in Charge was Deputy Group Officer Bootle from Diggers Rest Fire Brigade.
Pictures by Blair Dellemijn – CFA Strategic Communications.
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