NT Fire and Emergency Services will deploy 17 members to Western Australia today to assist with wildfires which have been burning south of Perth for over a week.
Several wildfires are currently burning in Shannon, Boorara-Gardner and D’Entrecasteaux National Parks near Windy Harbour, Boorara Brook and Meerup, with several watch and act warnings in place across southern WA.
The Western Australian Government formally requested assistance from all jurisdictions on Tuesday afternoon, prompting a swift response from NTFES who arranged for a large contingent of NT Fire and Rescue Service and Bushfires NT staff to depart Darwin on Thursday.
Upon arrival in Perth the contingent will be stationed across the southwest and are expected to spend the next week working alongside colleagues from WA and NSW and QLD.
The team, consisting of volunteers and staff from NT Fire and Rescue Service and Bushfires NT will assist with firefighting operations.
Acting Commissioner NT Fire and Emergency Services, Collene Bremner said the team were ready to step up to assist our WA colleagues during this critical time.
“Our highly skilled crews will assist on the fire ground and within the Incident Management Team (IMT) with a range of tasks that they’re well prepared and experienced in delivering,” she said.
“The remote and rugged landscapes in southern WA are like NT conditions which our members highly skilled and trained in working in. Given the scale of the wildfires currently burning across the southwest region we are more than happy to provide additional capacity to aid in the response efforts – our staff are well-trained and ready to go.”
“Our thoughts are with all of those on the front line of this sustained response and those residents impacted by the fires.”
This deployment highlights the dedication and core values of the newly established NTFES agency. Many of these individuals put their personal lives on hold to assist communities, as well as others in need during times of crisis.
The recent formation of the NT Fire and Emergency Services, which combines the NT Fire and Rescue Service, NT Emergency Service, and Bushfires NT into one agency, enhances our ability to respond to emergencies while prioritising community resilience.
Media contact:
Rickie Abraham
89239803
