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Victoria Fire Injury Investigation Report Released Inbox

Wednesday 25 July 2007, 5:04PM

By Mediacom

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On 16 December 2006, 11 experienced New Zealand rural firefighters, deployed in Australia at the request of Victorian authorities during one of their worst bushfire seasons in history, were caught in a wildfire burn-over incident near the town of Mansfield in Victoria. Six were hospitalized for treatment to injuries. All have subsequently recovered and returned to normal duties.

A formal investigation into the incident was commissioned by the Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment, and the Victoria Country Fire Authority. The team has completed its investigation and has delivered its report to the Victorian agencies and the New Zealand National Rural Fire Authority.

The report has now been made available to the New Zealand rural fire agencies.

The investigation team has outlined a number of findings which contributed to the incident. The key findings are:



1. The difficulties in determining the main fire’s potential and limitations in the escape route were the most significant contributors to the incident.

2. The unavailability of appropriate aerial support and aerial reconnaissance (due to extensive demand for aerial assets in other areas) compromised the accuracy of fire mapping and the development of tasking.

3. Insufficient regard was given to intelligence from the Fire Sector Commander on the day prior to the incident.

4. Personal protective equipment was effective in preventing injury except when it was not worn correctly.

5. Some locally issued face masks proved unsuitable for the type of bushfire operations faced.

6. There were some minor breaches of Standard Operational Procedures.

“These findings are being circulated to the rural fire industry in New Zealand and the lessons learnt will be actively promoted and used in the ongoing training of our people,” said National Rural Fire Officer Murray Dudfield.

“It was an unfortunate event with multiple factors combining to create an environment in which an accident such as this could occur.”

“This incident provides a timely reminder to us all that extra care is required when involved with the firefighting of forest and rural fires, particularly in the dynamic and unpredictable environment present in a major wild land fire at a time of extreme fire danger”, said Mr Dudfield.

“Finally, it is clear from the report that the crew leaders involved acted quickly and with a high level of intelligence and professionalism when the extent of the threat to their teams became apparent. Their prompt action and the quality of their decision-making, along with the immediate first aid applied to the injured by the other NZ fire fighters, reduced the extent and the severity of the injuries suffered by crew members.”

Two contingents totaling 112 New Zealand rural firefighters were deployed to Victoria in December and January, many of whom had just returned from the United States where they had also fought wildfires. The Victorian bushfires were some of the worst in history burning a million hectares of land over 48 days, destroying 18 homes and injuring 27 firefighters, including the six New Zealanders.