Vic firefighters head to US to help tackle bushfires
Vic firefighters head to US to help tackle bushfires
10 July 2008
published by www.abc.net.au
Australia — A group of nine Victorian fire fighters is heading a crew of 44 travelling to the United States to tackle fires burning in California.
The fire fighters from Australia and New Zealand leave this Sunday, and will be away for about five weeks.
More than 1,000 fires have been burning across the US state.
The Department of Sustainability and Environment’s chief fire officer, Ewan Waller, says the work will be hectic and testing.
But he says the group’s experience fighting bushfires at home means the crew is well prepared.
“Their job will be to supervise often very large crews, up to 500, bulldozers cutting up the breaks around through California, and organising aircraft,” Mr Waller said.
“It’ll be pretty difficult and dirty work, and complex work, but it’s work that the Victorian forest firefighters do very well.”
