Published on Tuesday, 1 May 2012 at 12:00:00 AM
Pannawonica’s Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service were put through their paces when lightning strikes wreaked havoc throughout the region, threatening to engulf the small town in flames.
After spending many hours the previous night and all that day fighting scrub fires on the
Pannawonica Access Road, the already tired crew had an exhausting night ahead of them. At 3:30 in the afternoon of Sunday February 19th, 2012, having ensured the many scrub fires were well under control, word was received that a new fire had started close to the town’s border, once again as a result of the wild weather conditions.
Upon arrival at the scene the crew soon established the need to put preventative measures into place and requested the help of grader operators from the nearby Mesa J mine site to scratch large fire breaks around town facilities, including the local rodeo grounds. However such preparations were thwarted when a storm front moved in and an unexpected and unpredictable change of wind caused flames to move closer to the houses on the edge of town.
As a change in plans was actioned, residents watched on helplessly while their small town became surrounded by fire on two fronts. The slow process of enlarging fire breaks to a width of 20 metres using graders proved successful in holding back the flames, which came within 40 metres of homes on Maitland Street, forcing residents to evacuate.
As the flames spread, it was ultimately another change in wind direction that saw the fire fighters get the upper hand. This enabled them to drive the flames back, just as residents of
Peedamulla Way were preparing to evacuate also. Those who had evacuated were able return to their homes soon after at around 9pm, however it was well after midnight before some of the hard working fire fighters finally made it to bed, many of whom had been fighting fires since 8:30 that morning.
The residents of the town are still passing on their thanks to the crew for their efforts that night, but if you ask the members of Pannawonica’s Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service, the real heroes are the community members who helped out in so many ways.
From those who complied with evacuation orders from the Police without question, to the individuals calling at houses to remind people to turn off their air-conditioning and turn on the sprinklers, the residents pulled together and conducted themselves in a manner they should be proud of. Many people opened up their homes that night to frightened friends and neighbours with a comforting cuppa and the offer of a bed should they not be able to return home. Most of all, the VFRS recognise the efforts of the grader operators, one of whom had had no fire training at all and yet bravely worked amongst the crew, closer to the flames than you’d expect one would be comfortable with.
Unfortunately there was no rest in sight as the VFRS crew members who continued to attend to scrub fires in the area for the next three days, however the town is now well protected with large fire breaks.
The community gave a collective sigh of relief to discover the last of the flames around town had died down the following day, and a lesson was learnt that night with the threat of fire serving as a reminder that bushfire season should be prepared for in much the same that way we prepare for cyclone season.
Melanie Campbell, Executive Support Officer, Pannawonica VFRS
Read the full article in Inside Ashburton
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