Specialist WA firefighters fly east to help battle Victoria blazes
Dozens of Western Australian emergency services professionals are flying to Victoria as devastating bushfires ravage communities across the state.
Nearly 350,000 hectares of land had burned and more than 300 buildings had been destroyed by Sunday afternoon as 32 fires were burning in parts of Victoria.
A contingent of 20 WA Fire and Emergency Services Department staff and 18 Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions staff departed Perth Airport on Sunday morning for a week-long run.
The group includes a task force leader and 20 tough firefighters who will head to the front line in Victoria’s Barwon South West region.
Meanwhile, a 17-member incident management team will support local firefighters in Gippsland.
DFES Commissioner Darren Klemm said Victoria faced a “particularly difficult” situation over three days.
“Those three days have exposed them to a lot of fires on the ground, and even if there are no other ignitions, they’re going to have to spend maybe up to three or four weeks to get those fires to safety,” he said.
“For this reason [it’s a] It is difficult for them, three or four weeks are approaching.”
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan urged residents to stay away from fire-ravaged communities, while Premier Anthony Albanese announced an extra $19.5 million in aid for fire-affected communities, on top of the personal hardship benefits announced on Friday.
Some of the fiercest fires are burning in Melbourne’s northeast, including areas bordering New South Wales.
A fire near Longwood covers about 136,000 hectares, although that figure is lower than the 142,000 hectares recorded on Saturday.
WA Emergency Services Minister Paul Papalia said the government’s thoughts were with all Victorians affected by the catastrophic bushfires.
“The Cook government stands ready to provide resources and is proud that WA emergency services heroes have put their hands up in such short notice to help protect these communities in their time of need,” he said.
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