After a horrific three months with around 900,000 hectares directly impacted by bushfire, East Gippsland is in recovery mode with all fires now contained.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Lisa Neville, was in East Gippsland last week with CFA chief officer, Steve Warrington, and Victoria’s first commissioner with Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV), Ken Block.
With FRV officially coming into operation on July 1, it was important for Mr Block, who has come from Canada to take on the commissioner role and been in Melbourne for the past two weeks, to visit East Gippsland, see the impact the fires have had on the region and talk to people on the ground, the firefighters who have been working closely together including CFA career and volunteer firefighters, the Forest Fire Management team as well as Canadian and US firefighters who came to assist.
“It is something that Ken has experienced in his own country, but to see how we do it, and I think do it so well, in working as one is important. It’s been an absolute critical part of minimising property losses and minimising loss of life in this fire season,” Ms Neville said.
The minister visited the Bairnsdale Incident Control Centre (ICC) with Mr Warrington and Mr Block where she spoke with Incident Controller, Ben Rankin, and his team.
A substantial part of eastern Victoria has been burnt, around 900,000 hectares, with about 1000 firefighters currently rotating through as works continue, with US firefighters also still in the country assisting.
“That 91 days of the Tambo complex fire was very intense, both emotionally and physically, for our people, so we’re continuing to have significant resources in there to make sure they remain contained, make sure they are prepared for other events like storms,” Ms Neville said.
“There are not many parts that haven’t been impacted. It’s a significant impact on the environment and communities and there’s no doubt in parts it burned very hard, very hot. But nature is amazing, and we’re starting to see some life coming back, which is great.
“After 91 days the Tambo fire complex is considered contained. An extraordinary effort from so many people and I can’t thank them enough for the effort and the work they put in.
“The area around the Cape Conran peat fire, there’s still activity there, we’re working on it, but there is no risk to life or property. There’s also some at Cape Howe, but again it’s more about the environmental impact rather than community impact.
“We’ve been blessed both by the work that our firefighters have done and also the weather. The impact could have been very different if some of the conditions we saw in January had continued.
“Having said that, we are very conscious that it is still February and March can be a difficult time.”
Those at the top of the emergency services are feeling great pride for their crews, and justifiably so.
“It’s about how we have all worked together,” Mr Warrington said.
“Yes, we lost property, but probably a tenth of the property we could have lost. From a life point of view it’s really tragic that some people did lose their life, but by and large everybody who followed our instructions and our advice is here to tell the story.
“We haven’t lost one town in Victoria; we’ve had minimal life loss and restricted property loss.
“I think Victorians should be really proud of Victorian fire and emergency services – fire response management, CFA, MFB – but it’s also about State Emergency Service, ambulance service, the municipalities. The Fijians were here, the Americans, the Canadians, this was a really collaborative effort.
“I’ve heard individual stories of lives being saved, and property, brave and heroic stories and they are so heart warming. I’m so tremendously proud to be the leader of this organisation and what we, as a collective we, have achieved this summer.
“Victorian’s should be absolutely proud of the professional service we provide as an emergency service entity in this state. The runs are on the board for everyone to see.”
IMAGE: CFA chief officer, Steve Warrington, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Lisa Neville, and Victoria’s first commissioner with Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV), Ken Block, at the Bairnsdale Incident Control Centre where Ms Neville declared East Gippsland in recovery following the fires. K179-463
