One of our long-standing members of Glenorie Rural Fire Brigade, Deputy Captain, Craig Whiteman, ventured off to a deployment in March this year, to assist with fighting the fires in Northwest Tasmania.
After arriving safely, and getting set up, on day three of the deployment, the team were allocated crews and sent to the fires. Craig was selected as crew leader for two other RFS members and two NPWS.
They flew by helicopter to the Mount Donaldson fire, in the north division where they had a buoy wall and pump with about 300m of hose to hit the hot spots along the fires edge. At the end of a long day, they had a 20 minute helicopter flight back to base in Tullah.
On day four, the crew completed blacking out a 1km section along a creek line, working the northern edge. The crew worked hard, dragging hoses and digging into the peat.
This section held, which was great, however due to the drop in humidity and increasingly strong winds, other sections set on fire late in the afternoon.
Overall, this was a successful and rewarding deployment for Craig and we are so proud of your efforts. Craig Whiteman, your commitment to the RFS as a volunteer, is honourable, and we thank you for your service.
