Kimberley tourists help fight bushfire
Kimberley tourists help fight bushfire
22 August 2013
published by http://news.ninemsn.com.au
Australia — About 200 people – many of them foreign tourists – were evacuated from their luxury camp accommodation at the Kooljaman Tourist Resort at Cape Leveque on Wednesday when an emergency warning was suddenly issued.
They took refuge in the administration area of the Aboriginal-owned wilderness camp, as a fast-moving and out-of-control bushfire burned nearby.
Fire crews worked to build containment lines and were finally able to get the blaze under control in the evening.
No buildings were burnt but one person was treated for heat stroke.
Kooljaman manager Avan Davey told AAP that aerial surveillance of the area on Thursday morning showed the bushfire was no longer a threat to lives.
“It was a close shave but luckily the only damage we had was to one metre of the boardwalk,” he said.
“The guests took it pretty well and were helping out. It was old-fashioned firefighting.
“The chefs were also putting out fires and then they were in the kitchen cooking for everyone that night.”
Mr Davey said boating tours had been suspended in the area due to strong winds but the fires had not affected indigenous tours.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) issued an advice alert for the area on Thursday, warning those around Broome to be vigilant of the fire, which is still burning west of Cape Leveque Road and in the Coulomb Point Nature Reserve.
Although there is no threat to lives or homes, there is a lot of smoke in the area.
The fire has burned about 30,000 hectares.
The cause of the blaze is unknown.
