19 Feb – RAFT Crew required for remote area deployment – Two Kangaroo Valley members travelled to Currabubula, near Tamworth, for a remote area deployment. Two members from Sutherland and the Blue Mountains joined them to make up a team of four. The fire was burning in very steep terrain and, with the help of helicopter support, they were able to bring the fire under control.
26 Feb – Tree down Kangaroo Valley Road – Attended by Valley 1 and 7 Bravo trucks, and Beaumont 2 truck. Kangaroo Valley Road was patrolled, with Beaumont 2 finding a tree down at Ben Dooley Road x Moss Vale Road. This was left for the RMS crew to manage. The area was left in a safe condition.
8 March – Oil spill from Fitzroy Falls to Barrengarry. This turned out not to be oil, but an animal by-product that looked like oil. No action was taken. Attended by various crews including KV 1 and KV 7 Bravo trucks.
Brigade activities
Grassfire Learning
Crews assisted landholders with prescribed burning of field grass land. This provided a great opportunity for all our members to hone our skills, as we do not generally get a lot of exposure to grassfires here in the Valley.
Learnings included rate of fire spread, effects of wind and topography, optimum safe ignition patterns, control and command that including radio skills, and all with the ongoing mindset of crew safety and welfare.
Advanced firefighting skills
Crews attended a pile burn at Wild Wood using the Valley 1 and 7 Bravo trucks. The crew members utilised the time as a refresher for building Advanced Fire Fighter skills in estimating fuel loading, assessing appropriate windows for prescribed burning, identifying safe refuges, accessing resources required and the value of a prescribed burn in that general area.
Pile burns and burning off
The Fire Permit season finished on the 31 March until the 01 September 2023; however, there is a process that still needs to be adhered to prior to burning off:
1. You must notify the NSW RFS at least 24 Hours before you light the fire. (See below)
2. You must advise your immediate neighbours at least 24 hours before you light the fire.
3. You must not light the fire if a Fire Danger Rating is VERY HIGH or above
4. At least one responsible person must be present from the time the fire is lit until it is extinguished.
5. Check the upcoming weather conditions as the pile may continue to smoulder for several days.
6. If you believe that you cannot safely control the fire once it has been lit, dial 000.
Ways to notify the NSW RFS
• ONLINE: Online at www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/notify.
• PHONE: Shoalhaven FCC 4424 4424 between 9am and 3pm Monday to Friday.
If you have concerns about doing this yourself, please contact the KV fire brigade and we can possibly assist you with your pile burn during a training session or check your site for you.
Contributions by Neil Breeze and Jamie Salkeld Compiled and edited by Tracey Basman
