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Speaker 1: As we know, it was another challenging day for our

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Speaker 1: rural firefighters yesterday with a second emergency warning declared for

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Speaker 1: a bushfire at Lake Bennett, Cruise were called out to

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Speaker 1: several other fires in well extreme and high to extreme

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Speaker 1: weather conditions. Now joining us on the line to provide

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Speaker 1: a bit of an update is Bushfires Into Executive Director

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Speaker 1: Colleen Bremner. Good morning again, Colleen.

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Speaker 2: Good.

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Speaker 1: Colleen. It's been a tough few days for you guys.

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Speaker 1: Talk us through the situation yesterday.

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Speaker 2: Yes, look, look, thank you. Yesterday we had obviously Cruise

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Speaker 2: going back to the Dalne River fire as well as

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Speaker 2: earth moving machinery to help clear up any sort of

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Speaker 2: hotspots and burning stags, and so that took you know, obviously,

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Speaker 2: and we also had people going out checking on you know,

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Speaker 2: checking on the residents as well as Anti fire and

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Speaker 2: Rescue assisted us with doing some impact assessments of the

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Speaker 2: damage and and so that was obviously a great bit

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Speaker 2: of a tension from us on the on the fire

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Speaker 2: and down river from the day before when we were

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Speaker 2: alerted to another fire at Lake Bennett. And Lake Bennett's

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Speaker 2: quite a tricky area with the with the hills and

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Speaker 2: and different types of you know, land tenure types in

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Speaker 2: that area, and and obviously the fire was going very

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Speaker 2: fast and potentially the resort was in and all those

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Speaker 2: little cabins potentially in line of the fire. Would have

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Speaker 2: taken a little bit of time, but we did put

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Speaker 2: out eventually, we did put out an emergency warning for

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Speaker 2: that very aware of the fact that you know, this

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Speaker 2: is our dry season, We've got a lot of visitors

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Speaker 2: and tourists and stuff in the area. But we were

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Speaker 2: actually able to We had some people doing asset protection

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Speaker 2: around a couple of places, while the rest of the

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Speaker 2: crew helicopters and fixed wings were able to contain that fire.

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Speaker 2: And so thank goodness, that was done within a couple

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Speaker 2: of hours.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I Reckon and Colleen. Obviously it required quite a

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Speaker 1: few resources as always, but by the sounds of things,

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Speaker 1: our bushfires and cruise able to get things under control.

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Speaker 2: Yes, And look again, I'd like to thank our volunteers

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Speaker 2: because as we were redirecting our resources from Darwen River,

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Speaker 2: we were getting phone calls from volunteers saying, do you

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Speaker 2: need a hand at Lake Bennetts. So that just shows

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Speaker 2: the amazing commitment that we have here from our volunteers

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Speaker 2: supporting other land.

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Speaker 1: Any idea at this point in time, how that Lake

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Speaker 1: Bennett bushfire started.

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Speaker 2: I understand that one was actually accidental, and so the

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Speaker 2: fellow thought, you know, didn't actually realize the spark had

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Speaker 2: been done. I think there was some welding done or something,

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Speaker 2: all some repair work. So we're following that up. But

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Speaker 2: he was very very apologetic. I understand and had but

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Speaker 2: it was just that's just the trickiness of when you've

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Speaker 2: got such dry fuel loads and wind, it doesn't take much.

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Speaker 2: So I just really urge everybody landowners to be really

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Speaker 2: careful about doing any any hot works, you know, as

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Speaker 2: I said the other day, even mowing or flashing can

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Speaker 2: cause fires this time of year.

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Speaker 1: And Colleen, I can see, yeah, well this is the thing,

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Speaker 1: and then I can see on Leonino Road there at

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Speaker 1: Darwin River. Another advice has just been issued just saying

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Speaker 1: that a fire has started in the area and just

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Speaker 1: to monitor that situation for changes. So that was at

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Speaker 1: about about ten minutes ago. But advice for the public

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Speaker 1: was for the safety of course, of firefighting crews and

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Speaker 1: other vehicles. That drivers in the area just being urged

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Speaker 1: to slow down and take care.

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Speaker 2: Okay, well that sounds like good advice.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's great advice, isn't it. But I suppose the

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Speaker 1: really frustrating thing about this one based on what you'd

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Speaker 1: said to us yesterday, and I do not that the

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Speaker 1: Northern Territory Police had issued a statement yesterday as well.

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Speaker 1: They're calling for information in relation to that bush fire

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Speaker 1: that obviously started on Tuesday.

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Speaker 2: Yes, so I'm hoping that somebody may have seen something

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Speaker 2: and could and will pass information onto the police. You know,

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Speaker 2: those residents in Dalne River have been quite traumatized by

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Speaker 2: and by the fires that have the fire that went

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Speaker 2: through there, and you can, you know, people may have

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Speaker 2: seen on the television some of the footage of just

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Speaker 2: the complete scorching of the of the environment. Not only

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Speaker 2: the loss of that poor fellow who you know, lost

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Speaker 2: his lost his home and the stuff around it, but

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Speaker 2: also the damage to the to the environments just just terrible.

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Speaker 2: And also i'd like to really, you know, I'm really

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Speaker 2: proud to be, you know, a real resident. When you

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Speaker 2: see people pulling together to provide him with that support,

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Speaker 2: it's amazing.

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Speaker 1: It is incredible to see, and I think that that

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Speaker 1: is you know, that's the thing that makes the territory

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Speaker 1: such a great place, isn't it that when you have

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Speaker 1: those signs of adversity, that everybody does stand up and

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Speaker 1: helps each other out?

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Speaker 2: Yes?

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Speaker 1: Yes, Now tell me what's the situation today. What are

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Speaker 1: the conditions looking like today?

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Speaker 2: So the conditions are much much kinder to us that

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Speaker 2: so let's win, Katie.

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Speaker 1: That's good? How's that?

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Speaker 2: Yeah?

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Speaker 1: That is good?

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Speaker 2: Where obviously? And can I just say that certainly my

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Speaker 2: my state, and I did and the volunteers are a

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Speaker 2: little bit weary, so so it'll be really it's a

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Speaker 2: really good opportunity for us to try and you know,

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Speaker 2: make sure our pumps are working and and everything's sort

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Speaker 2: of tip top after the last the last week of

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Speaker 2: really hard work. So so this is a catch up

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Speaker 2: time and servicing and the rest of it. And hopefully

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Speaker 2: I'll leave it at that. I forget you get a

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Speaker 2: bit supersticious, superstitious in this business here.

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Speaker 1: You would, Colleen tell us as well, you know, for

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Speaker 1: us townies that that aren't out in the rural area

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Speaker 1: that really, you know, I haven't had to worry too

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Speaker 1: much about those fires over the recent days. You know,

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Speaker 1: you said then that the volunteers and the crews are

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Speaker 1: getting a bit weary. They've been pulling enormous hours, haven't they.

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Speaker 2: Yes, they have, and and inter late at night as

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Speaker 2: well as you know, early mornings, and and you know,

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Speaker 2: very uncomfortable conditions as you be well aware and so

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Speaker 2: so having, but not only just our volunteers and stuff,

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Speaker 2: but their employers who've you know, obviously these people leave work,

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Speaker 2: some of them who who haven't retired, poor things, have

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Speaker 2: to leave their work to go and fight these fight

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Speaker 2: these buys. So we really appreciate everybody's everybody's efforts in helping.

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Speaker 2: And you know a lot of our rural residents also

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Speaker 2: work in town, so there is an impact on you know,

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Speaker 2: those businesses in town whose staff are supporting it, and

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Speaker 2: I'm very grateful for that, Colin.

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Speaker 1: Before I let you go, there are still from what

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Speaker 1: I can gather, and please correct me if I'm wrong,

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Speaker 1: but there are still a few areas We're keeping an

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Speaker 1: eye on things throughout today, even though hopefully it stays calmer.

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Speaker 1: But there are still a few areas, aren't there.

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Speaker 2: Yes, So you know when I go through obviously Dale River,

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Speaker 2: we'll still be keeping an eye on that because things

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Speaker 2: still continue to be you know, to smolder. Would you know,

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Speaker 2: fallen trees even sort of the root systems or whatever

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Speaker 2: continue to to smolder days later. So we'll continue to

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Speaker 2: keep an eye on mat as well as the Lake

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Speaker 2: Bennett fire and some of the others. So you know

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Speaker 2: that we've had in recent days, so we will have

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Speaker 2: people going out and checking and keeping an eye on

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Speaker 2: it and if it's if it's not us, it's also

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Speaker 2: the volunteers do that as well if they're close by.

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Speaker 2: So hopefully you will be quite visible out there, but

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Speaker 2: hopefully it's just it's just us checking up on things

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Speaker 2: as opposed to having to respond. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Well, Colin Bremner. As much as I love having a

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Speaker 1: chat to you every day, I hope we don't have

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Speaker 1: to tomorrow. I hope things do certainly calm down this

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Speaker 1: afternoon and throughout today and everybody gets the opportunity to,

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Speaker 1: you know, to just sort of to regain themselves and

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Speaker 1: to do that other prep work that is required.

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Speaker 2: Likewise, thank you.

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Speaker 1: Thanks Colleen. I really appreciate your time over the last

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Speaker 1: couple of days.

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Speaker 2: No way, thank you,