Fire heroes

Flying Officer Andy Boeree and Corporal Paul Thorpe, of No. 28 Squadron, with their fire truck in front of the remains of a house destroyed in Canberra’s bushfires. Photo by LACW Simone Liebelt

MORE than 30 Canberra homes were saved from bushfire destruction by members of Canberra’s No. 28 Squadron.

In the heart of the blaze in Duffy, in south-west Canberra, members worked alongside desperate residents in a fight for homes and lives on January 18.

RAAF Base Fairbairn’s Officer in Charge of 28SQN fire fighters, Flying Officer Andrew Boeree, said it was completely dark when they arrived at a confusing scene.

“I’d never fought a fire before and the scene was pretty horrific – it was blacker than night with burning embers flying everywhere,” he said.

The unit turned up just in time to save an elderly man on his roof-top surrounded by fire.

The small Air Force team of five extinguished the man’s burning garage and contained the fire at a neighbouring house.

The squadron was initially directed to fight grass fires in the north-west suburb of Cook, but soon received an urgent call for help.

ACT authorities directed the Air Force unit to Duffy where they played a significant role in saving more than 30 homes in Canberra’s most devastated suburb.

The crew was greeted with a huge wall of fire wreaking havoc on the neighbourhood.

“The most freakish thing was the sound – the fire literally roared,” FLGOFF Boeree said.

In the early hours of Sunday morning the unit prevented the explosion of an electrical sub-station and was then dispatched to mop up the fire that destroyed the Mt Stromlo Observatory.

Squadron members doused a red-hot garage belonging to a distraught elderly Italian woman as they were tasked with the ongoing struggle to deal with hot spots. 28SQN fire fighter Corporal Paul Thorpe comforted and reassured the terrified woman as his team secured her home.

The Air Force truck later returned to Duffy to put out spot fires and was greeted with cheers and hugs from teary locals.

CPL Thorpe also directed his vehicle back to the home of the elderly woman to ensure she was fine.

He was met with excited broken English and an ecstatic embrace of appreciation.

The emotional weekend was filled with stories of chaotic struggle and heroic bonding in the face of scorching adversity.

Fire trucks were burnt and equipment lost as fire fighters, both ACT and Air Force, shared whatever kit they had in the midst of battle.

“Despite the mass confusion the teamwork was overwhelming,” FLGOFF Boeree said.

Coordinator of the Territory’s response to the devastation, Executive Director ACT Emergency Services Bureau Mike Castle, contacted the squadron for assistance early on the Saturday afternoon.

The City of Canberra Squadron, whose motto is “in response”, worked closely with authorities in responding to emergency calls and monitoring the base for direct bushfire threats.

• By Shane Fairlie

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