LOCAL volunteer bushfire brigades, Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) fire crews and BHP Billiton Worsley Alumina emergency personnel attended two fires near Collie at the weekend.
One of the bushfires was in private property forest in the Beela Valley, 20 kilometres north-west of Collie, on Saturday afternoon.
DEC duty officer Tom Kenneally said there was potential for significant impact due to the high fuel loadings combined with the hot, dry and windy conditions.
However, a quick response of local fire fighters and the use of the Type One Helitac - a large helicopter water bomber - helped fight the fire, Mr Kenneally said.
The fire was contained to just over one hectare.
“The use of the type one helicopter was critical to the success of containing the fire to such a small area and to allow time for ground crews to arrive on the scene,” Mr Kenneally said.
“Given the heat wave that we experienced recently, the potential was there for the fire to quickly spread to the nearby private properties and Mornington Road and the railway line.”
Mr Kenneally said that if the fire had reached Mornington Road, it would have been closed for at least 24 hours.
“If the railway line had to be closed there would have been a huge impact on coal deliveries on the busy cargo route,” he said.
The cause of the Beela fire is still unknown.
Mr Kenneally said another bushfire was reported to DEC early on Sunday and required the same response.
“The fire on Sunday morning was in the forest 20 kilometres south west of Collie and was detected before 8am,” he said.
“It was immediately attacked with four fixed-wing water bomber aircraft and had even greater potential for severe impact than Saturday’s bushfire due to the very high fire danger.
“I knew by the strong winds that were already occurring early that morning that this would be a big bushfire if we didn’t contain it quickly. I called out every available resource I could muster from DEC, local bushfire brigades and contractors,” he said.
The fire was believed to have resulted from a lightning strike but, fortunately, lightning was accompanied by a small amount of rain.
“The rain looked to be just a couple of millimetres but it bought us the time we needed to get to the bushfire and contain it before it spread to the dryer fuels,” Mr Kenneally said.
The bushfire was also within an area of forest that had been prescribe burnt only five years earlier, reducing both the rate of spread and the intensity of the flames.
“I had some relief when I plotted the fire’s location of the fuel age map in the command centre and saw that it was recently burnt,” Mr Kenneally said.
“But on a windy day like that I don’t take any chances and I kept sending anyone I could muster to the fire.”
DEC praised the quick response of bushfire brigades, water bombers and its own crews and heavy machinery.
“Both fires were contained to within a single hectare in the end. Had it not been for the efforts of so many, a bit of luck with the rain and prescribed burning the result might have been a lot worse”
DEC reminds the public, campers and workers not to take any chances with starting a bushfire.
“There is a blanket ban on all camp fires in the Shire of Collie all summer – no matter where you are,” Mr Kenneally said.
“If you're going camping take a gas stove and clear away any leaves and twigs anywhere near the stove.”
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