THEY came to remember their 14 comrades who died in the horror of Ash Wednesday 30 years ago but also paid tribute to two firefighters who perished just last week.
More than 300 people gathered at the St Johns Anglican Church in Upper Beaconsfield to recall the CFA members from Panton Hill, Nar Nar Goon, Narre Warren and Wallacedale brigades who died in the 1983 bushfires, which killed 75 people.
They gathered at the church, itself an Ash Wednesday casualty and since rebuilt, with Premier Ted Baillieu and Victorian governor Alex Chernov.
Last week two firefighters from the Department of Environment and Sustainability (DSE) - Katie Peters, 19, and Steven Kader, 29, - were killed when a tree fell on their vehicle as they fought a fire in remote alpine territory near Harrietville.
The Ash Wednesday fires that swept through southeast Australia on February 16, 1983 caused widespread damage across Victoria and South Australia, destroying more than 3000 homes.
Years of severe drought left the land open for devastation and when the fires hit they were fanned by winds of up to 110km/h.
Mr Baillieu told the gathering that the loss of the CFA fighters on Ash Wednesday was the worst in Australian firefighting history.
"Their loss resonates still," he said.
The helmets of the 13 men and one woman who died lay solemnly on a table during the service at the little wooden church.
Mr Baillieu remembered Ms Peters and Mr Kader as well as other firefighters who have died this bushfire season.
He said the Ash Wednesday blaze occurred on a day when the bush was snap dry and the weather radiator hot.
"A roaring wind was shifting soil across the state ... it was dark, deafening, scary and ultimately it was deadly and devastating."
CFA firefighter Doug Summons remembered the time well - he was a first year firefighter at Narre North and his tanker was sent to fight a blaze at Belgrade in the Dandenong Ranges.
"When we got there the trees were smoking and most of the houses were gone," he told AAP.
He said in those days the radios were manned by the wives of CFA captains and at one point on the day all the fire tankers in the area had been sent to save one house.
"It was a bit of an overkill, but as it turned out we got a flat tyre and couldn't attend."
He also remembers the following day, Black Thursday and the Friday.
"It was a week and a half before we put out the last tree."
But he said the hardest part was the aftermath and attending seven funerals in one day.
At 65, Doug is still an active member of the CFA.
Like many others at the service he wore his distinctive yellow CFA firefighting uniform.
On Sunday as the service was being held, more than a thousand firefighters, 240 fire tankers and 64 aircraft were involved fighting fires throughout the alpine district and the Grampians.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Firefighters remember fallen comrades
Dengan url
http://cucidollaran.blogspot.com/2013/02/firefighters-remember-fallen-comrades.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Firefighters remember fallen comrades
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Firefighters remember fallen comrades
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar