Bushfire season to end tonight


Released 25/07/2017

Minister for Police and Emergency Services Mick Gentleman together with the ACT Emergency Services Agency Commissioner Dominic Lane has announced the official end to the 2016-17 bushfire season tonight.

“Although Canberra itself remained largely fire-free during some challenging bushfire conditions, both the ACT Rural Fire Service and ACT Fire & Rescue provided critical assistance to our NSW counterparts on several occasions, including the devastating Carwoola fire,” Minister Gentleman said.

“The ESA activated pre-formed Incident Management Teams at the Fairbairn HQ on days of elevated fire danger throughout the season to ensure they were fully prepared in the event of a fire.

“This proved particularly effective when a grass fire started near the back of homes at Latham in January.”

The hot, dry conditions experienced during the bushfire season, combined with a large fuel load from last year’s heavy rainfall made conditions volatile and challenging for firefighters.

“This should serve as a reminder to ACT residents of the need to ensure their homes and families are adequately prepared against the threat of bushfire,” Minister Gentleman said.

“I wish to personally thank each and every one of our dedicated ACT fire and rescue personnel, along with volunteers who often put their own lives at risk to help keep Canberra and the surrounding region safe this bushfire season.

“It is not just our personnel and volunteers that deserve thanks, but their families as well. It is never easy to let your loved ones go, often for days at a time, knowing they will be putting themselves in harm’s way to help others and we deeply appreciate it.

“I also acknowledge all the many employers of our volunteers who have allowed them time off work to continue doing the amazing work they do.

“Without the cooperation of these employers, the ACT Rural Fire Service would not be in a position to provide such an exceptional service to the Canberra community,” Minister Gentleman concluded.

The ESA will now undertake an after-action review to see what improvements can be made to bushfire preparedness and response for the next bushfire season.

- Statement ends -

Mick Gentleman, MLA | Media Releases


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