1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: It was pretty upsetting yesterday to see on social media 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: the bushfires ANDT. Cruz post that after many months of 3 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: slog sweat, and some cases tears to get the Barklay 4 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: fires under control, they thought they'd hit home run earlier 5 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 1: in the week after the success of the defensive backburning, 6 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: but imagine they shared disappointment and frustration to have another 7 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: fire deliberately lit from the roadside of Sandover Highway in 8 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 1: the Barklay. Now joining me on the line is Bushfires 9 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: in T's incident Controller Tony Fullow. Good morning to you, Tony. 10 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 2: Yeah, good morning, Katie, Tony. 11 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: What happened with this fire? 12 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, yesterday morning we got we've checked on the all 13 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 2: the Scrobing fire index and found that there was a 14 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 2: fire on the Sandover Highway and we contacted the stations. 15 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 2: The stations were aware of it and they put in 16 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 2: some works yesterday to bring that fire under control. 17 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: But so you feel as though this one has been 18 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 1: deliberately lease. 19 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely. It was on a road Vergeon, Yeah, and 20 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 2: it looked like we had reports that someone had deliberately 21 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 2: lit it. So we passed that onto police and that 22 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 2: they're going to be investigating that. 23 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 1: What kind of resources were required to then get it 24 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: under control. 25 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, we didn't respond in the end. How the 26 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 2: real for our service for there was from South Australia 27 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 2: I'm not sorry, sorry from New South Wales. They were 28 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 2: on changeover, so they're on their way back to our 29 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:46,199 Speaker 2: springs when this occurred. But the stations they all pulled 30 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 2: together and went out there and to contain it. 31 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: But how frustrating is it for bushfires into and for 32 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: everybody out there that's been working so incredibly hard in 33 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: the Barklay to try to keep things under control for 34 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:02,559 Speaker 1: something like this to happen. 35 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it is really disappointing. We had not only 36 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 2: that one, there was another one on the Barkley Highway. 37 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 2: We don't know how that one started, but it started 38 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 2: again on a roadside Birge and the stations that have 39 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 2: been battling to the north of the Barkley they had 40 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:23,639 Speaker 2: to go divert all their assets. The real losers out 41 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 2: of this, the stations. They're diverting all their resources and 42 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 2: their machinery and losing pasture every day, which is really 43 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 2: disheartening for them. I feel for them more than anyone. 44 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's so bloody frustrating and disheartening. Like you've said, Tony, 45 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 1: how things going at the moment in the Barclay. 46 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it's pretty good this morning so far. Touch 47 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 2: with But you know, we've had a fire at Hermansburg 48 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 2: this morning that we were dealing with yesterday and we 49 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 2: sent the Rural Fire Service out there this morning. But 50 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 2: the reports I'm getting back from the cruise they're pretty 51 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 2: comfortable with that fire. And there was also another fire 52 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 2: to the south on Undulia Station and we're currently working 53 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 2: with a landowner on that one as well. But things 54 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 2: are looking pretty good the landowners, station managers and bush 55 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:22,639 Speaker 2: fire staff that have been down there the past few days. 56 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,639 Speaker 2: It seems we've got that one recently well wrapped up. 57 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: Well. That is good to hear. What about up here 58 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: in the top end of things come down a little 59 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: bit over the last twenty four hours or so. 60 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, look at again touch Wood. Nothing too bad this 61 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 2: morning so far. We do have a fire that's going 62 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 2: to eat back to Tanamite Road today. That's a fairly 63 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 2: large fire that's been burning for a considerable amount of time, 64 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 2: and yeah, we'll be watching that. But at the top end, 65 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 2: there are our fires around the Catherine region that we're 66 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 2: working with landowners and parks. 67 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, and how are the roads looking. I know 68 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: people can jump on Secure in Tea and check that 69 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: all out. But we were talking yesterday to one of 70 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: the event managers for the World Solar Challenge, you know 71 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 1: the car race, and there was someone trying to get 72 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 1: across I think from Mount Isa. So we were wondering 73 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 1: how all those roads were looking at this point in 74 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: terms of the fires. 75 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 2: Well, this morning, I understand the Barclay should be fine, 76 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 2: but you know, as you just have to look on 77 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 2: the NAFI side, the fire side, and you'll see that 78 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 2: there are fires everywhere. Yeah, and those lines will move 79 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 2: pretty quickly. So I suggest if you're going to be 80 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 2: traveling that when you've got range, get on MAFI and 81 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 2: have a look, or get on Secure and T and 82 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 2: have a look at the road reports before you start 83 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 2: getting out there. Bear in mind that things change really quickly. 84 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 2: Like yesterday morning, we thought we were pretty good and 85 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 2: nextllent we've got a fire on the highway sand Over 86 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:56,479 Speaker 2: and we've got a fire on the Barkley. 87 00:04:57,680 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: Well this is the thing and that's where it's so 88 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 1: bloody disappointing. Then when something like what happened yesterday morning, 89 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:06,839 Speaker 1: it's even more frustrating because you think things are looking good, 90 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:08,919 Speaker 1: you think you might have a day where your fires 91 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: get a bit of reprieve, and then something like that happens. 92 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, and we're transitioning at the moment from the top 93 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 2: end season, so we're hoping for some rain very surely 94 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 2: transfer our resources to down to the desert. But the 95 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 2: desert flowers hasn't even really started yet, so we're expecting 96 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 2: another three or four months of activity down there. Yeah, 97 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 2: a pretty long year. 98 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 1: Yeah, it certainly does well, Tony, no doubt. We'll talk 99 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: to you again very soon. I appreciate your time, and 100 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: of course if anybody has been on the road and 101 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 1: has got any info that could assist the police with 102 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: the inquiries in relation to that deliberately lit fire yesterday, 103 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: they can get in contact with the police on one 104 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 1: three one triple four. Tony Fuller, always good to speak 105 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 1: with you. 106 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 2: Thanks Katy, Thanks you support. 107 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: Thanks mate.