1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: Now joining me in the studio this morning is the 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Joshua Fisher. 3 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 2: Good morning to you. Good morning, Katie mate. Did you 4 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 2: get any sleep last night? 5 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 3: I've managed to get a couple of hours, but no 6 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:12,799 Speaker 3: busy night for our members. 7 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: It was an incredibly busy night from what I can gather. 8 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: I've seen plenty of photos sent through to us here 9 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: at the station. Just how many fires did you guys 10 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:21,799 Speaker 1: get called out to? 11 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 3: So if we look at the permitted time period where 12 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 3: fireworks could be led off by the public, so between 13 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 3: six pm and eleven pm, we responded to three hundred 14 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 3: and thirteen grass fires throughout the Northern territory. But if 15 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 3: we look at our total figures, which includes yesterday and 16 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 3: right up until this morning, it's three hundred and ninety 17 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 3: three grass fires we've responded to in twenty four hours. 18 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 2: Three hundred and ninety three. Did you say that's correct? 19 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 3: Three? 20 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: That's a phenomenal number of grass fires. How big are 21 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 1: we talking in some of these cases? Like are they 22 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: small kind of shrub fires or are they ones that 23 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: take quite a bit of space. 24 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 3: There was two sort of grass fires significance yesterday, so 25 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 3: we had secoli in the area of Rostonia Avenue and 26 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 3: south of Lambrick Avenue and a grass fire south of 27 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 3: Tiger bren And Drive which resulted in the closure of 28 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 3: Tiger brenn And Drive for a period of time. They 29 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 3: were two critical incidents and they were about forty hectares 30 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,320 Speaker 3: and thirty hectares in size. And keep in mind that 31 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 3: might sound small, but in the context that they're in 32 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 3: a pre urban environment around Palmerston, that's pretty significant. 33 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 1: Some of the photos that I've seen, they don't like 34 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: it doesn't look as though the fires are all that 35 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: far away from properties. I don't know whether that's sort 36 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: of you know, that is correct or not. Were they 37 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: far away from homes? 38 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 3: No, they were right in behind homes and property right 39 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 3: throughout everywhere that we responded to. So our volunteers, our 40 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 3: career staff, our auxiliaries and track station workers in more 41 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 3: regional remote areas of Northern Territory have done a significant 42 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 3: job in keeping territory and safe. 43 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,919 Speaker 1: How many how many fieries and volunteers were working last night. 44 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 3: So for the Fire and Rescue Service, we're looking at 45 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 3: about two hundred members overall. That includes our career fire fighters, 46 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 3: in our urban centers and our auxiliaries and our volunteers 47 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 3: throughout northern Territory in our twenty six locations. 48 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: So how on earth when you've got that number of 49 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: staff and you're almost double, like the number of fires 50 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: is almost double the number of staff you've got, how 51 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:17,079 Speaker 1: on earth do you get to everything? 52 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 3: It's certainly juggling priorities and trying to get to the 53 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 3: most important fire that we can with the intel that 54 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 3: we have available. They certainly had a very very busy night, 55 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 3: and hats off to them our fire service. You know, 56 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 3: we were a very small fire service in terms of 57 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 3: our jurisdictional size. You know, we don't have a large 58 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 3: body of members and to attend, you know, three hundred 59 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 3: and ninety three fires in a twenty four hour period 60 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 3: is significant and I don't think there's another jurisdiction that 61 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:46,359 Speaker 3: could keep up with that demand and have the same result. 62 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 2: How does that compare to previous years? 63 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 3: So if we look at twenty nineteen, for the same 64 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 3: reporting period, there was two hundred and nineteen fires between 65 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 3: first to July and second July. So we're not even 66 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 3: through second to July yet, and we're at three hundred 67 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 3: and ninety three, So a signific can increase and so would. 68 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: You attribute that to the fact that it has obviously 69 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: happened later in the year and the conditions are dryer. 70 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 3: I'm assuming well, I think if we take into the 71 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 3: context that we had above avery rainfall, so we went 72 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 3: into this fire season with above normal bush fire potential 73 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 3: through to the end of August, we had in some 74 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 3: areas of that urban environment a decrease in the amount 75 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:24,679 Speaker 3: of plan fuel reduction burning. It was achieved before it 76 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 3: got too dangerous to do so. And then the fact 77 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 3: that we've had fireworks in a landscape and that has 78 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 3: resulted in ignitions. 79 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 2: Now all of those fires under control. 80 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 3: Now, yeah, at this time they are under control. We've 81 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 3: got an enhanced level of crewe in again today to 82 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 3: monitor those fires, particularly the two in Palmerston. We're also 83 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 3: still undertaking investigation with regards to a suspicious rubbish spin 84 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 3: fire in Yarrawonga which did damage a building, so as 85 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 3: an investigation there, and I also should mention that not 86 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 3: only did we attend to those grass fires, we also 87 00:03:56,320 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 3: had an additional twenty four rubbishpin fires, five reported structure fires. 88 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 3: Has Matt job here in dewin, as well as automated 89 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 3: fire alarms, smoke complaints and a road crash rescue to 90 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 3: contend with during the evening MT. 91 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: I've got to tell you I was keeping an eye 92 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: on that on the incident map last night, and to 93 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: be really blunt about it, I was thinking, holy shit, 94 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: how our fire is going to be able to get 95 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: to everything? 96 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 2: Like, how are you guys managing everything? 97 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: It looked like it was phenomenally busy in terms of 98 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,600 Speaker 1: we know that no one was in jured, right, so 99 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: we managed to keep people safe in that sense, people 100 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 1: weren't injured. What about when it comes to those structures? 101 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 1: Was there much damage to property or to structures? 102 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 3: The only reported damage that we have is with that 103 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 3: suspicious rubbishpin fire. So it's a real testament to our 104 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 3: professional crews, both their crew and our volunteers that have 105 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 3: worked extremely hard in that five hour period but continued 106 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,239 Speaker 3: writing through two am this morning, and then our normal 107 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 3: crewing that have contended with further grass fires through the 108 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 3: early hours today. It's a real hats off and credit 109 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 3: to them, our rural volunteers through Humpty Do Virginia Be's 110 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 3: Creek How it springs, Coupina they spent the majority of 111 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 3: their time in Palmerston assisting our career members in combating 112 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:10,159 Speaker 3: the large number of fires that we had in the 113 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:10,919 Speaker 3: Palmeston region. 114 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: Honestly, I think the whole community is just thinking to 115 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: themselves this morning, thank goodness for our fires, for all 116 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: of those volunteers, Thank goodness for the work that you 117 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: guys did overnight to keep everybody safe and to ensure 118 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: that nobody's homes were lost. That even when those fires 119 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: got closed to properties in Palmerston, that everything was done 120 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: to make sure that everybody stayed safe. So, like you said, 121 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:34,159 Speaker 1: and I'll repeat it, real hats off to all of 122 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: our firees, to all of you for ensuring that that 123 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: was the case. 124 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 3: One hundred percent. You know, it's you know, our volunteers 125 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 3: and our staff for a testament to our service and 126 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 3: the effort that they put in last night is can't 127 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 3: be understated. It was really tough. They were very, very busy. 128 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:51,840 Speaker 3: They went from fire to fire and they've done so 129 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 3: professionally and have kept territory and safe. 130 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: Now with that fire in Yarrawanga, there was their extensive 131 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: damage or how how bad was that fire? 132 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,039 Speaker 3: It's damaged to the outside of the building at this time, 133 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 3: but with police, they're reviewing the circumstances of that and 134 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:11,039 Speaker 3: hopefully we'll be able to determine that cause and hopefully 135 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 3: some follow up action as a result. 136 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 1: Have people been fairly well behaved in terms of not 137 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: continuing to let off fireworks after eleven o'clock last night. 138 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 3: Look, I was in the city operating from our incident 139 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 3: management team and I certainly did see fireworks continue to 140 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 3: be let off on the skyline looking north over Darwin. Unfortunately, 141 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 3: there were a number of sort of matters that police 142 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 3: did attend to in Darwin City with respect to sort 143 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 3: of isolated reports of misuse of fireworks. So namely, people 144 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 3: letting off fireworks out are moving vehicles towards buildings and objects, 145 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 3: so really stuff that is just not acceptable. It's a 146 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 3: privilege to use fireworks and to celebrate the way that 147 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 3: we do here in Northern Territory and people need to 148 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 3: respect that. Unfortunately, we also did have a couple of 149 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 3: fies that we've investigated ahead of the six pm start time, 150 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:03,680 Speaker 3: where at this point in time it looks like they're 151 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:07,039 Speaker 3: caused by fireworks, and I know that at this time 152 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 3: one individual has been issued infringement for that they let 153 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 3: off a firework on their property ahead of the six 154 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 3: pm time frame and it's subsequently coarsify, which GMMB has 155 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 3: responded to. 156 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 1: Hey with those bin fires, like is that why do 157 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 1: people let them off in? Why do people let them 158 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: off in bins? 159 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 2: Or what's the go with that? 160 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 3: Well, I think most of it can be attributed to 161 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 3: people generally trying to pick up their rubbish, and I 162 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 3: think it's just that they actually haven't cooled them down, 163 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 3: they haven't put water on them, they haven't waited for 164 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 3: them to the heat to go out of them, and 165 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 3: subsequently it causes it an ignition in the bin. 166 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:39,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, right, How. 167 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 1: Are all of you guys feeling this morning? How are 168 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: fires feeling? Is everyone pretty exhausted? 169 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 3: Most definitely those members that were on last night, they'll 170 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 3: be pretty well tired. They'll be resting today, but they'll 171 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 3: be keen to get back out there and keep territory 172 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 3: and safe again on their next shift. 173 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 2: Well on behalf of all of the territory. 174 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 1: Everyone who listens to the show, thank you and thank 175 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: all of your teams, all of yourolunteers for all of 176 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: the hard work that you put in last night. I 177 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: know you must have been absolutely run off your feet 178 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: looking at some of those fires. I know that the 179 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: residents that live nearby would be so incredibly grateful for the. 180 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 2: Work that you did. 181 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 3: Thank you, we appreciate it. 182 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: Now, well, thank you very much for still taking the 183 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: time to come in and talk to us this morning, even. 184 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 2: Though you've been working all night. So Josh, thank you, 185 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 2: we appreciate it.