MUNDIC DUMP 1941

FIRE KILLED TIMBER SALVAGE 1947

ROYAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY

FORESTS COMMISSION FIRE LOGO

FORESTS COMMISSION ORGANISATION

FIRE TOWERS, RADIO NETWORK AND FIRE BOMBER BASES

FIRE LOOKOUT TOWER

PACIFIC MARINE 2 STROKE WATER COOLED PUMPER

FOUR WHEEL DRIVE TANKER

RADIO EQUIPMENT

AERIAL SUPPORT TO FIRE FIGHTING

SNOWY RANGE AIRSTRIP

1962 FIRES HIT THE EASTERN SUBURBS

FUEL REDUCTION BURNING

BROAD SCALE FUEL REDUCTION

MAFFS

FIRE ORGANISATION

FIRE BASE CAMP

BRAEMAR COLLEGE SAVED BY BURN OFF

BRAEMAR COLLEGE BURN PAYS OFF

ASH WEDNESDAY 1983

MACEDON BURNT AGAIN

1985 FIRES

1985 FIRE CAMPAIGN - BRIGHT

Typical of salvage logging following the 1939 bushfire, and illustrating in a minor way the immense resource loss. Timber was felled and dumped in gullies, sometimes under water sprays, for years. The advent of World War 2 with a huge demand for timber, the invention of the Kraft process to pulp eucalypts, and the introduction of timber seasoning technology for ash species facilitated the conversion of salvaged wood to timber products.

photo: Forester W Flentje

Timber salvage continued into the 1960's. Note the tree climber working his way upward to prepare the tree as a head spar for winch logging. Had this disaster not occurred, some think the timber industry in Victoria would have been equivalent to that in British Columbia, where it is third on the list of industrial importance.

photo: Forester W. Flentje; climber, Mr J. Donald

The eminent jurist Leonard B Stretton began his work on 27th January and delivered his fully detailed report on 16th May1939. He toured widely, inspecting fire damage, gathering evidence and holding sittings in country locations. His sharp insights and sound logic formed the basis for a new era of fire management on both public and private land. These arrangements have served Victoria well since . Technology has not insulated the community from similar events. A "must read and understand" for legislators, managers and fire staff.

Always at the forefront of advertising about fire prevention as well as working on it, the Forests Commission did much to spread a fire safety message throughout the community, including a free movie show that used to tour country schools and towns. Departmental envelopes carried this logo into the 1960's.

Image: Rod Incoll

The Forests Commission divided the State into 7 field divisions, and some 53 forest districts statewide. Most country towns near state forest had a forest office with full time staff and work crew, trucks and bulldozers. All were trained in fire fighting and fuel reduction burning - both core tasks. Many experienced staff retired or were moved to non-fire positions with the introduction of Conservation and Lands 1984-6. The "fire culture" of the FCV was dissipated, as much day to day work was contracted out to the lowest tenderer with little regard for fire management.

Courtesy of Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association Museum, Beechworth.

An extensive network of fire lookout towers, radio bases, and airstrips equipped for fire bombing were set up state wide, with the aim of quickly detecting and responding to forest fire outbreaks. Fires were required to be brought under control at a burnt area of less than five acres before the end of the first work period. Or else! Questions would be asked. A transfer to some remote location for more fire experience hung in the balance.

Courtesy of Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association Museum, Beechworth.

An extensive fire tower system was set up to cover state forest areas after 1939. Often built of bush logs and rough sawn timber, they were initially connected to the forest offices by miles of earth return telephone line, which was replaced by radio when reliable equipment became available (1960's -1970's). The "tower man" often lived on sometimes remote sites during the summer months.

Courtesy of Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association Museum, Beechworth.

After the Royal Commission findings were adopted by Government, Forester (later Chairman) Alf Lawrence, who had assisted Stretton, was the FCV's first Fire Protection Officer. He managed the upgrade of fire equipment, and purchased equipment like this positive displacement gear pump from the USA. It was ideal for moving water over long distances (several kms) though 35mm linen hose.

Courtesy of Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association Museum, Beechworth.

Many four-wheel drive fire tankers specially fitted out for forest fire fighting were built at the Forests Commission Fire Workshops at Altona North. Early models were based on the ex-Army V8 Ford or Chev "blitz buggy", or the "White Scout Car", an armourplated vehicle with remarkable climbing ability.

Courtesy of Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association Museum, Beechworth.

Army disposals equipment was first used for radio communication after WW2. Subsequently, the Forests Commission Radio Laboratory developed purpose built equipment for a state wide net on 4880 kc and regional nets around 2700 kc. Effective radio communications did not become a reality until the advent of VHF in the 1970's.

Courtesy of Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association Museum, Beechworth.

Speed and success of rapid first attack on fires is crucial to prevent the build up of large bush fires. Before the development of logging and access roads, crews hiked cross-country with food andequipment. Several days were sometimes needed to reach a remote lightning strike,The potential of aircraft for rapid deployment of fire fighters was obvious.

Snowy Range airstrip, the highest airstrip in Australia, has been used as a firebombing base since 1967. Two Pawnee aircraft operated by the renown Ben Buckley (Alpine Aviation, Benambra) are seen here, fueling up for another phosphate retardant drop on lightning strike fires around Zeka Spur in1975.

Photo: Rod Incoll

Major outbreaks affected the State on 14 January 1962 , with fourteen fatalities and 454 homes lost. Bushfires raged from the Dandenong Ranges, to and through the eastern and northern outskirts of Melbourne. The Basin, Christmas Hills, Kinglake, St Andrews, Hurstbridge, Warrandyte and Mitcham suffered the worst damage. There were also many forest and rural fires on this day.

The introduction of helicopters with (more or less!) enough power to operate at higher elevations meant that a new tool was available for fire management. A large time delay match (Delayed Action Incendiary Device or DAID) was developed and carried in a magazine outside the aircraft - the red box on the door shown on this Bell J model helo which was powered by a Lycoming piston engine. Heyfield, 1976.

photo: Rod Incoll

Fuel quantity is the only variable in the fire equation that can be controlled. Although forestry staff had always carried out protective and strip burning, the science supporting broad scale fuel reduction by fire was developed by Alan McArthur and team in the 1960's. With rapid initial attack on fires and strategic fuel reduction to manage fuel levels, at last it was feasible to inhibit the build up of large destructive summer fires.

photo: Rod Incoll

Innovative solutions to fire suppression were sought world wide. Typical was the US Forest Service Modular Airborne Fire Fighting system (MAFFS), which slipped into the hold of a C130 Hercules transport. This had a capacity of 11,250 litres of retardant. It was was trialed in Victoria during the 1981/82, a mild fire season. While potentially effective, it was costly and required huge training and logistic support. Not adopted operationally.

The Forests Commission "Fireboss" organisation was built from local experience and world wide research. It made full provision for the integration of operations and intel and logistic support. Built up progressively, it was both efficient and effective. It used the existing skills of field and admin staff, who moved smoothly into "fire gear" as required.

Image to be replaced.

Proximity of fire crews to fire operations meant a quick shift changeover, and gave the best chance of fire control. So fire personnel were accommodated in"base camps" close to the outbreak, often miles from settlements. Mobile kitchens, ablution units, communications and HQ accommodation were developed and could be quickly set up. Through these and and similar initiatives, the FCV competently discharged its fire responsibility for almost 1/3 of Victoria..

Braemar College, situated on the northerly flank of Mount Macedon, received the full blast of a high intensity bushfire on 1 February 1983. As can be seen from the image above, fuel reduction burning carried out in 1982 reduced the fire intensity to a controllable level and despite the high temperature and raging wind, the College was unscathed. For more information, see Newsletter No 5 - on our 'Newsletter' page.

Showing the fire intensity in fuel reduced forest around Braemar College, burning at a controllable level while 24 houses and 5500ha of forest was razed. This fire occurred just 2 weeks before "Ash Wednesday" of 16 February 1983, in which Macedon and Mt Macedon townships were razed.

1982 and 1983 were drought years. Extreme fire danger weather was experienced on Wednesday16th February 1983. By late afternoon severe fires had broken out in both forest and country areas Eight main outbreaks burned through 175,000ha, causing 47 fatalities and destroying 1545 dwellings, and much loss of cattle and fencing. Pictured are the remains of Moggs Creek, a coastal hamlet in the Otways, where the fire intensity was estimated to rate amonst the highest ever recorded..

First burnt out during a bushfire in1905, Macedon was destroyed again late on "Ash Wednesday". Starting at East Trentham on the afternoon of 16th February 1983, the fires burned through forest to the pleasant, verdant tourist and retirement town of Macedon. Three lives were lost; 729 houses and 41,000 ha including the township and valuable pine plantations were burnt.

1985 was a low rainfall year. The forests were dry and a severe fire season was anticipated. Between mid afternoon 14 January1985 and 0900 hrs next morning, 111 forest fires were started by lightning. Many were in inaccessible mountain country. They were controlled by herculean effort, the largest operation of its kind up to that time. 150,000 acres were burnt through and over 1000 km of fireline established by more than 3,000 firefighters, 400 fire tankers, 20 helicopters and 16 fixed wing firebombers.. The potential for loss from Koetong to Mytleford and Bright was significant. The fires were brought under control without help from the weather. No lives were lost. One unoccupied house was destroyed.

Showing the landing zone for rotary wing aircraft working out of Bright, with four heavy lift and four light machines on the ground. Aircraft were refuelled and crewed from here for crew deployment and command and control on the Buffalo fire. Despite the emergency situation, great care was taken to construct hand trail fire line across the steep, rocky, northern escarpment of the National Park, so respecting park values.

Photo: Athol Hodgson