Victorian "Black Saturday" Bushfires - Photos from Strike Team 1364

This video documents part of my experience fighting the Black Saturday bushfires on the 7th February, 2009 in Victoria, Australia. The video is a series of still photographs taken while I was part of the crew on board Nth Warrandyte tanker 2, and part of strike team 1364. Some photos are not as good a quality as I'd hoped, due to the truck moving, smoke and light conditions. Also, as you can imagine, I haven't been able to document everything, as the priority is to fight fires, not take photos!

Strike team 1364 was initially assigned to protect property and people on a ridge just outside of St Andrews. We broke open a door and sheltered a family inside the house.

The house caught fire, but we were able to save it, and the family inside. My truck was caught in a burn-over when flames erupted from trees behind us, severely burning one of my crew on his arm and hand. I suffered facial burns myself. That was the single most terrifying experience of my life. I am grateful for the training and quick actions of myself and my crew (Daisy, Glen, Scott and Will) that saved us from further severe burns and possible death.

We tried to stop the fire jumping a road, but it was impossible due to 100+km/h winds and 48 deg celcius temps. The fire jumped the road and raced through the forest, destroying houses and killing people inside. My team did it's very best to save as many people as possible, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough.

My team was then the first team to make it to Kinglake. The fire front had just passed, and we had to clear the road using a grader, as it was blocked with burning trees and burning vehicles with people, including children, dead inside. It was an horrific experience. Kinglake was levelled, with homes burning and people dead inside them. I can only describe it as like the images you see of Hiroshima.

I worked a 20+ hour shift with my strike team, trying to protect the remaining residents and buildings from further harm.

All of the CFA members in my team, and all of the rest of the CFA worked indescribably hard to save as many people and properties as possible, but unfortunately, everything was against us.

My thoughts are with the people and families who's lives, homes and pets we were unable to save.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• victorian
• bushfires
• cfa
• warrandyte
• st
• andrews
• kinglake
• black
• saturday

[pardar2x]

Well done, you guys did such an excellent job, you should be so proud of yourselves.

[whitsy2009]

Good on ya guys for what you did my heart goes out to you and the other strike teams that fought the ever so tiring battle

[TJ36583658]

too-right Mate

[lovinsnowlife]

I myself am from Nth Warrandyte and I hope you know just how much everyone around here appreciates what you have done and continue to do. Everyone is so proud of you all. Unfortuanately mother nature put us all in our place on the 7th and showed us all exactly who is boss. You guys did all that was humanly possible that day. From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU. Who knows what we would do without you guys!!

[melbournedude38]

There are no appropriate words to describe the despair we all have for what has happened. You guys/girls are just incredible! The picture of those horses, the cockatoo in the car... the damaged fire truck... thanyou for sharing your experience. We have given as much as we can as a family of 6 (4 children), donation wise, and will continueto do so whenever we can. It is all we can do.