The District 11 Taskforce departed last week from Bairnsdale Airport to Wodonga to help with the Walwa – River Road fires.
Housed at Tallangatta Incident Control Centre’s Base camp, and ably lead by Strike Team Leader Aaron Lee and Orbost’s own assistant STL Ryan Findley, the group of 13 consisted of members from all over East Gippsland, with a variety of skill sets including 4WD Driving, chainsaw operator and first aid as well as their firefighting skills.
Wished well by assistant fire Chief Officer Aaron Worcester and Group Officer Len Jeffs, the team consisted of members Aaron Lee and Steve Angel (Bairnsdale), Ryan Findley (Orbost) Kathryn Williams (Mossi-Tambo), Jane Caulfield (Johnsonville), Tracey Johnston (Mallacoota), Ross Hermans (Bruthen), Sarah O’Brien (Swifts Creek), Daniel Heinrich and Kate Parr (Lindenow), Adam Billings and Sam Bitchburn (Toorloo) and Keiran Benton (Sarsfield).
Crews will be replacing those already on the ground and using trucks and ultralight vehicles from those areas including trucks from Wodonga, Lenva, Baranduda and Bonegilla.
They will be tasked with indirect attack via burning out operations and preparation of fallback control lines.
With their skills and dedication, the taskforce adds vital capacity to the firefighting operations at Walwa, reinforcing the shared commitment to protecting lives, property and landscape.
Their deployment reflects the ongoing commitment of East Gippsland crews to support communities across the state as the fire effort continues.
