1
00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:01,960
Speaker 1: NTI Fire and Rescue Service.

2
00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,600
Speaker 2: They're urging the community to ensure that they understand their

3
00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:09,080
Speaker 2: local bushfire risk and that they have a bushfire survival

4
00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:12,560
Speaker 2: plan ahead of what is expected to be extreme fire

5
00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:16,280
Speaker 2: danger this weekend. Joining me in the studio is Joshua Fisher,

6
00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:18,439
Speaker 2: the Deputy Chief Fire Officer.

7
00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:19,280
Speaker 1: Good morning to you.

8
00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:20,520
Speaker 3: Josh, Good morning Katie.

9
00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:22,840
Speaker 1: Now mate, what is expected this weekend?

10
00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,480
Speaker 4: Yes, we've got a return of some fire weather impact

11
00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,880
Speaker 4: in the northwest top end again from tomorrow morning, so

12
00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:34,640
Speaker 4: we're likely to see extreme fire danger Saturday and increasing

13
00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:39,520
Speaker 4: into Sunday before easing early next week. So it's likely

14
00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,040
Speaker 4: to see some firebands declared in the dal and Abalaide

15
00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:44,440
Speaker 4: River fire were a forecast area. We've got a fireband

16
00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:48,400
Speaker 4: declared for Barkley North today so that system's moving northwards

17
00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,120
Speaker 4: as we speak, so we're likely to see increase wind

18
00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:56,040
Speaker 4: strengths driving those fire dangers and obviously if any fire

19
00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:57,960
Speaker 4: was to start during those conditions, it will move very

20
00:00:58,040 --> 00:00:59,520
Speaker 4: very quickly and be very dangerous.

21
00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:02,400
Speaker 2: Me, what do people need to be aware of because

22
00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:04,479
Speaker 2: I think that's so often we sort of if you're

23
00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:06,880
Speaker 2: a towny like me, you think, oh, you know, it's

24
00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:08,680
Speaker 2: the rural area that needs to be a little bit

25
00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:10,880
Speaker 2: more concerned with the fire danger.

26
00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:12,080
Speaker 1: But that's not the case, is that.

27
00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:14,919
Speaker 4: And look, we've seen that as recent as last weekend

28
00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:17,800
Speaker 4: where we've had fires obviously in around mew Head, we

29
00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:22,440
Speaker 4: had fires in around Holts, you know, the top end

30
00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:24,520
Speaker 4: of the Northern Territory. It's prime for regular fire. We're

31
00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:28,240
Speaker 4: in a tropical savannahs landscape. We've got lots of subdivisions

32
00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:31,360
Speaker 4: and urban and peri urban areas that back onto bushland

33
00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:34,679
Speaker 4: and grassland, and so you know, if you're one street

34
00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:35,640
Speaker 4: away from.

35
00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:37,679
Speaker 3: Any bush land, you could be at risk.

36
00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:39,480
Speaker 4: You know, you might be at risk from falling embers,

37
00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,080
Speaker 4: you might be at risk from a significant smoke drift.

38
00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,760
Speaker 4: And that's why we urge people to understand that local

39
00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:48,400
Speaker 4: risk to where they live. If they need to have

40
00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,400
Speaker 4: a bush fire survival plan in it, you know, their

41
00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,000
Speaker 4: property is surrounded by bush land and it is likely

42
00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,320
Speaker 4: that fire could spread through their property. They need to

43
00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,360
Speaker 4: have that bushfire survival plan that informs what actions they're

44
00:01:58,400 --> 00:01:59,760
Speaker 4: going to take in the event that a fire is

45
00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:01,640
Speaker 4: near by or encroaching onto their property.

46
00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,040
Speaker 2: What was it like, you know last weekend, I know

47
00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:05,520
Speaker 2: we caught up earlier in the week, but what was

48
00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,800
Speaker 2: it like last weekend then, for the likes of those

49
00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,560
Speaker 2: in your head when there was that fire about, were

50
00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,440
Speaker 2: people sort of prepared for what had happened?

51
00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:15,200
Speaker 3: Well?

52
00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:17,919
Speaker 4: I think you know, this is why we're talking today

53
00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,560
Speaker 4: in terms of having people understand that if you are

54
00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:22,920
Speaker 4: near Bushland and you are in the top end, you

55
00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,200
Speaker 4: know fire is a real risk, and understanding what those

56
00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,080
Speaker 4: messages mean, so you know, in the event that a

57
00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:30,960
Speaker 4: fire happens, our incident controls will make an assessment as

58
00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,000
Speaker 4: to what level of risk that fire poses.

59
00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:33,480
Speaker 3: To the community.

60
00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:35,960
Speaker 4: If we're issuing or an advice message, that's our lower

61
00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,520
Speaker 4: level warning it will issue and that just informs people

62
00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,359
Speaker 4: that there's a fire and a vicinity and it'll give

63
00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,040
Speaker 4: some basic information around what steps people should take.

64
00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, because there are obviously those different warning levels, what

65
00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:50,919
Speaker 2: are they? Just so that everybody out there listening has

66
00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:51,919
Speaker 2: got a good understanding.

67
00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,119
Speaker 4: So it's a national system that's in place right across Australia.

68
00:02:55,160 --> 00:03:00,600
Speaker 4: So all fire services use consistent terminology. We all operate

69
00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,239
Speaker 4: to the same level, so that no matter what where

70
00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,280
Speaker 4: you are in Australia. Four push fire warnings, you'll receive

71
00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:09,440
Speaker 4: the same level of information. So we have advice level.

72
00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,240
Speaker 4: That's our entry level. That's what we will issue for

73
00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,920
Speaker 4: the majority of our incidents. If the risk is increasing,

74
00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,240
Speaker 4: we'll go to a watchin Act level. That means that

75
00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,640
Speaker 4: there's a heightened level of risk, there's a likelihood that

76
00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,760
Speaker 4: homes and property may come under direct threats and there

77
00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,240
Speaker 4: is a risk to life. If we go to an

78
00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,160
Speaker 4: emergency warning, that's our highest level, that means that there's

79
00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,760
Speaker 4: an immediate risk to life, an immediate risk to property,

80
00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:35,560
Speaker 4: or it's likely that property has already been destroyed as

81
00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:36,960
Speaker 4: a result of that fire spreading.

82
00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:39,720
Speaker 1: Are you pretty worried about the conditions for the weekend?

83
00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:42,960
Speaker 4: Look, we've got extreme fight Angel, so you know we're

84
00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,360
Speaker 4: looking at a fire behavior index of sixty one on

85
00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:49,640
Speaker 4: Saturday increasing to seventy seven on Sunday, So we are

86
00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:53,000
Speaker 4: in the higher order of those fired changers and the

87
00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,360
Speaker 4: risk that they pose. You know, we're looking at win

88
00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:57,720
Speaker 4: us up to thirty five to forty kilometers an hour.

89
00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:02,800
Speaker 4: Any fires that obviously that are started under those wind conditions,

90
00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,360
Speaker 4: they are going to move very very quickly and we're

91
00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,240
Speaker 4: going to see significant smoke we're going to have to

92
00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,680
Speaker 4: quickly respond resources to get to that location and obviously

93
00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:14,640
Speaker 4: attempt to deal with it and bring it under control.

94
00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:16,960
Speaker 2: So if there is one piece of advice that you

95
00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:20,159
Speaker 2: can get out there to everyday Territori ins today about

96
00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:22,480
Speaker 2: the fire danger on the weekend, about making sure that

97
00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:24,640
Speaker 2: you're prepared, what's the best thing that they need to do.

98
00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:27,920
Speaker 4: Look, I think people need to understand that we are

99
00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,320
Speaker 4: likely to see fire events this weekend and at increase

100
00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:32,400
Speaker 4: bush fire risks. They need to be mindful around what

101
00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,719
Speaker 4: activities they undertake. I'd advise against going out there and

102
00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:39,680
Speaker 4: slashing or using grinders world as anything that is likely

103
00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:43,000
Speaker 4: to cause a fire. And next is to know where

104
00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:47,200
Speaker 4: to get information from so people can subscribe to Northern

105
00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:50,400
Speaker 4: Territory Police Foreign Emergency Services media releases or Bushfires in

106
00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:53,719
Speaker 4: T media releases to receive direct to their email that

107
00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:58,679
Speaker 4: information they can check on social media Bushfires in T's

108
00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:00,880
Speaker 4: social media account all the all in Territory Police Foreign

109
00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:04,800
Speaker 4: Emergency Services we're wanting to be posted there. Alternatively, there

110
00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:06,960
Speaker 4: is the anti Fire Incident Map where people can go

111
00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:08,880
Speaker 4: to and all incidents and have we've got there.

112
00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:10,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, and this is I guess this is a tough

113
00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,160
Speaker 2: thing as well. Sometimes over the course of the weekend

114
00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:15,280
Speaker 2: is that they won't be listening to the radio as

115
00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:18,360
Speaker 2: intently as they usually would, where we might be able to,

116
00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:19,920
Speaker 2: you know, to have you on and you tell us

117
00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,400
Speaker 2: exactly what's happening. So do keep an eye on that

118
00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:25,080
Speaker 2: incident map as well, and if you can see something

119
00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,880
Speaker 2: in the area. I think always just be safe, you know,

120
00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,880
Speaker 2: try your best to be safe and avoid the you know,

121
00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:33,040
Speaker 2: avoid sort of thinking to yourself, oh, should I go

122
00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:34,560
Speaker 2: for a driver around there as well and have a

123
00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,560
Speaker 2: look at what's happening. You don't need to get in

124
00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:37,279
Speaker 2: anyone's way.

125
00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,960
Speaker 4: No, And look, we've unfortunately had instances of that over

126
00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,000
Speaker 4: the last week where we've had for a better term,

127
00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:47,520
Speaker 4: rubberneckers keeping rocket incidents. You know, that just distracts firefighters,

128
00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,840
Speaker 4: it blocks access for firefighting vehicles, but also it may

129
00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:52,760
Speaker 4: put you in danger and that you're not understanding what

130
00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:56,240
Speaker 4: is happening. You may inadvertently trap yourself into the fire

131
00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:59,640
Speaker 4: or interrupt in terms of our backburning operation to contain

132
00:05:59,640 --> 00:05:59,920
Speaker 4: the fire.

133
00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:01,640
Speaker 3: So it's really important if you have no reason to

134
00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:02,080
Speaker 3: be there.

135
00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:05,520
Speaker 4: You aren't a property owner, you're not going to check

136
00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:06,920
Speaker 4: on family or friends.

137
00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:08,359
Speaker 3: Just avoid the area.

138
00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:11,400
Speaker 2: Josh, is there anything extra that you guys at NT

139
00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:14,359
Speaker 2: Fire and Rescue Service and also Bushfires INT have to

140
00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:16,800
Speaker 2: do in order to sort of prepare for this weekend.

141
00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:19,120
Speaker 3: Yeah, So Bushfires INT.

142
00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:21,960
Speaker 4: They've got an established incident management team, so they'll be

143
00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,200
Speaker 4: ramping that up to ensure that those core functions are

144
00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:29,000
Speaker 4: in place. There'll be aircraft on stand by, there will

145
00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:32,200
Speaker 4: be earth moving equipment on stand by the Northern Terty

146
00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:36,120
Speaker 4: Fin and Rescue Service. We also have certain triggers that

147
00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,880
Speaker 4: are met based on a declaration of fireband where we

148
00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:42,520
Speaker 4: put enhanced crewing on so we have additional firefighters on

149
00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,960
Speaker 4: station ready to respond rapidly to any threat of bushfire

150
00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:46,679
Speaker 4: that may start.

151
00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:47,960
Speaker 1: Hey, just very quickly.

152
00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,960
Speaker 2: Is there any updates on the investigation with the fire

153
00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:51,920
Speaker 2: out at Darwin River.

154
00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,360
Speaker 4: Yeah, so crews have been Our fire investigators with the

155
00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,080
Speaker 4: police have been working through that and I'm believed they've

156
00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:02,520
Speaker 4: undertaken a number of inquirer and interviews with people. At

157
00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:06,239
Speaker 4: this point in time, we don't have a confirmed course

158
00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:10,160
Speaker 4: of that fire, but we're still working through it and

159
00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:11,840
Speaker 4: we're hopeful that we'll have an answer shortly.

160
00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:14,200
Speaker 1: Yeah, all right, well, thank you very much for your

161
00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:14,720
Speaker 1: time this morning.

162
00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,840
Speaker 2: Joshua Fisher, the Deputy Chief Fire Officer with the Northern

163
00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:21,160
Speaker 2: Territory Fire and Rescue Service. Good luck on the weekend

164
00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:23,800
Speaker 2: and let's hope that it all runs smoothly. But we

165
00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:25,600
Speaker 2: may catch up with you again early next week.

166
00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:26,880
Speaker 3: Thanks Kenny, Thank you,