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Carwoola Rural Fire Brigade

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25.01.2022 Morale is still high amongst the Carwoola-to-Coast Fire Stompers 35km into the 140km march. Weather has improved and good progress is being made! Many, many miles of burned forest to trudge through on the way to the coast...

25.01.2022 Last Sunday Carwoola ran its regular Fire Preparedness Workshop which was well attended once again. Lots of interest in preparing homes & family, lots of great questions and great participation from our residents who came along (even if the outside activities were a bit cold & damp!)

24.01.2022 On driving around the area, there are a number of huge piles of dry vegetation ready to burn on some properties and have been sitting for many months now. Some are well over the size for pile burn standards (2 m wide and 1.5m high). From October 1, permits are required and must comply with the RFS Standards for pile burning The winter or cooler months are the time to do your burning off, not in the fire season. Permits are not always available to get in the fire season at... short notice and can be cancelled with no notice. Depending on the weather conditions, some areas will not issue permits at all for the whole or part of the fire season. Remember at ALL times of the year, it’s the law to get your burn notified with the local fire control centre (or the online option on the RFS website) and all your adjoining neighbours. If you have a pile to burn, do it. You don’t want to be stuck with it over summer. You have 2 weekends left before permits are required. See more

22.01.2022 The Briars-Sharrow crossing is likely to be under water this evening. Keep an eye on this site - if the gauge is showing over a metre there is likely to be water over the road: http://reg.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDN60237/IDN60237.570986.plt.shtml

21.01.2022 Our Carwoola-to-Coast Fire Stompers spent the night deep in Tallaganda forest at the Mulloon Creek crossing. On their way up into the hills they found someone had put out a cheery sign to wish them well which they really appreciated. Four more days to go with today's push aiming for Braidwood.

21.01.2022 Preparing for the fire season? Have you planned for your animals as well as your family & your home? Moving large animals like horses takes time & they may be nervous or less cooperative.

19.01.2022 If you really need to burn-off, you have about a month before the Statutory Bushfire Danger Period begins on 1 October (when you will need a permit before lighting up). However, even outside the Bushfire Danger Period you MUST make sure you NOTIFY both the RFS & your neighbours at least 24 hours before lighting up. You can now notify the RFS online if you want (see link below) or call your local Fire Control Centre (not your local brigade). For the QPRC area, the Queanbeyan FCC phone number is: 02 6128 0600. Make sure you call during business hours (Mon-Fri) https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-inform//burn-notifications

19.01.2022 MYTH: Last year’s fires = nothing left to burn this year. Have a guess how much of NSW actually burned during the last fire season... FACT: Only 7% of NSW was impacted by bushfire in the 2019/20 fire season.... There remains a significant fire risk for the 2020/21 fire season - especially grass fires as the drought is over, rain has encouraged growth and animals are no longer desperate to find forage. It only takes 5 minutes to improve or make a plan that will give your property, your family and yourself the best chance of survival. Get ready now at myfireplan.com.au See more

18.01.2022 Did you drain your fire pump over winter? If you did, you can probably put the drain plugs back in. If you didn’t drain your pump, there is a possibility that a frost may have cracked the casing or any other part of your pump which makes it inoperable or even unrepairable. It’s never too soon to give it a test to make sure everything is in working order. P.S. if you’ve left the fuel in, it’s probably gone stale as well so may not start.

18.01.2022 From our neighbours over in Bungendore the other night...

17.01.2022 FACT: Bush fires are unpredictable and in dangerous conditions, you may not get an Emergency Alert message in time. It’s important that you stay up to date on conditions in your area and that you have made a bush fire survival plan. Leaving early is your safest option. Don't put off thinking about evacuating and what you would need to take with you until the last, stressful moments...

17.01.2022 The Bushfire Danger Period commences for the Lake George area on 1 October. The Queanbeyan Fire Control Center has provided the guidelines below.

17.01.2022 What type of fire extinguisher do you have in your kitchen? Or your car? It’s really dangerous to use the wrong type, e.g. never use water on a cooking or electrical fire. The most common & safest general purpose household extinguisher is actually the Dry Chemical (check for a white band around the extinguisher) rather than water (red band). Check your extinguisher is in working order and you know how to use it. Take the time to read the instructions on the extinguisher, how to activate it and how far away you should stand. Show your family members. Quick action in using an extinguisher can save your home as in a rural area, your local fire brigade will take some time in getting there. PS: grab a fire blanket when you are at the hardware store as well if you don’t have one!

17.01.2022 Joint training last Sunday for Carwoola & Captains Flat Brigades on dealing with structure fires - something we don't do anywhere near as much as our Fire & Rescue colleagues. Two houses, scheduled for demolition were set up with a smoke machine for us to practice defensive attacks, incident control, forcible entry, compartment fires, closed relays and first aid.

15.01.2022 Congratulations to our ex-Commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, who has just been announced as the NSW Australian of the Year. Well deserved sir!

14.01.2022 From our friends over at Wamboin who lent one of their Cat1 tankers to our Kiwi friends during the fire season.

14.01.2022 Working from home? Just have a quick check of your electrical equipment and make sure your home office doesn't catch fire accidentally. Easy problems to fix now - less easy to fix once they catch fire.

13.01.2022 The Carwoola Community, including representatives of the Carwoola Brigade, had a great opportunity to meet with our new Federal MP, Kristy McBain, to talk over issues important to our community. Thank you Kristy for taking the time and getting out to so many of your local communities like ours.

13.01.2022 For those in our community who own horses, the post might be of interest.

10.01.2022 FACT: There will never be as many fire trucks as there are houses. Do not depend on a fire truck being available at your home. But if you and your home are well prepared, you stand a better chance of surviving a bush fire. There are simple things you can do around your home to prepare it for a bush fire, like keeping the grass low and having a cleared area around your home. It really does make a BIG difference.

09.01.2022 Warmer weather is coming to parts of NSW over the next few days. The recent rain means increased growth and as it dries out, the risk of fire will increase. Take the time now to know your risk and get ready. Check www.myfireplan.com.au for advice on making your bush fire survival plan.

09.01.2022 Reports just in from Day 3 of the Great Carwoola-to-Coast Fire Stomp. This leg from Braidwood and into Monga National Park. The guys are now approximately 83 km into the walk and making excellent headway. Footsore, blistered and tired but thoroughly enjoying the walk. Our walkers camped the night on top of a peak on the escarpment overlooking the sea.

08.01.2022 Carwoola members yesterday took part in a Village Firefighter assessment event at the Hume ESA Training Centre. Our Brigade now has 15 more members who have been trained in working more safely & effectively at structure fires, car accidents, car fires, HAZMAT and gas incidents in our community. There is still a very great deal to learn as this is a very broad and complex field which is always changing.

08.01.2022 What’s a Storz" fitting? It’s a fitting used by rural and town fire brigades in NSW to connect pumps, hoses, nozzles, hydrants or anything that needs a connection to fire fighting equipment. It’s the quickest way to make a connection rather than having to screw a fitting round and round up to ten times, the Storz fitting only requires a quarter of a turn. Any new houses or major extension rurally have to have a Storz fitting attached to concrete or metal tank for fire fighting purposes. Even if your house is old, consider fitting a Storz fitting so your brigade has the capability to get water from your tank for fire fighting purposes. 65mm or 38mm are the recommended sizes.

06.01.2022 The great Carwoola-to-Coast Fire Stomp has finally commenced! 6 members of the Lake George Remote Area Firefighting Team (RAFT), including 2 from Carwoola, stepped off this morning to hike 136 km over the next 5 days to the coast, much of the distance being through rough terrain burned during the last fire season. Great fitness preparation for the next season. Travel safe guys!

06.01.2022 One from the archives... Firefighting with what you have to hand; green branches used as beaters hasn't stopped being effective now just because we have yellow PPE and shiny red trucks!

06.01.2022 This top photo taken this morning in Wamboin's area shows the curing of the grass tops. While there is green grass underneath, a fire will burn and spread rapidly in the top dry sections. Most of you are trying to keep up with the growth this year but now you need to take some simple precautions when cutting grass. Try to cut on still days with low fire danger ratings, in the cool of the day when the humidity is higher or when there is dew. Have some fire extinguishing equipment available, should you create a spark and have a spotter to keep an eye out. Dozens of fires start every year with mowers, ride ons or slashers. It is a requirement in the fire season that you take precautions and if a fire escapes from your property, you may be liable for damage to others.

05.01.2022 Another good reason to get on top of the African Love Grass -even big rain in the past few months isn't enough to reduce the grass fire risk in this widespread weed which is heading our way and is all over Canberra. African Love Grass fires burn very hot, fast and intense. This shows how easy Love Grass can burn on even a very cool day with wind behind it

04.01.2022 Well deserved recognition to a genuinely amazing volunteer group, BlazeAid, who, believe it or not, are STILL out there now fixing rural fencing after the last fire season. Damaged fencing is one of the biggest problems facing farmers after a fire.

04.01.2022 For all the days you felt you couldn't help - now there's a day you can... Every day Australia's first responders risk their lives to help us, but now there's a day we can help them. In partnership with the RFS, SES and Red Cross, NRMA Insurance is proud to launch FIRST SATURDAY - a monthly day to help first responders by doing one small task to make our homes safer. Starting on Saturday September 5th, these small household tasks can have a massive impact. If we all particip...ate, together we can help: * prevent first responders being called into danger unnecessarily * protect your family * protect your home * make the job of the first responders easier This has always been a big team effort between first responders and you - if you ever wanted some way to help us, let's start talking about the ways we can help each other. Visit the website to learn how you can help: https://www.nrma.com.au/firstsaturday

03.01.2022 If you have a haystack or even a few bales of hay, you can get a fire under certain conditions. Wet or damp hay can spontaneously combust, especially with warmer weather. Most of the brigades in our area have had to deal with hay fires. Keep an eye on your stored hay...

03.01.2022 Update: nothing found & all units have returned to station. Carwoola 1 & F&RNSW 428 haveresponded to a report of a smell of gas off Captains Flat Rd east of the church near Woolcara Lane. Nothing found so far.

02.01.2022 BANG! BANG! "What was that?" Once again, there's no need to jump onto a community Facebook page to ask the question. We can tell you already. The Majura Trainin...g Range in the ACT has let us know they have their next live firing exercise commencing Monday 17 Aug, running through to Thursday 20 Aug. Loud explosions are expected to be heard across Queanbeyan and surrounds during the main exercise on Tuesday between 7.30am and 5pm. The noise on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday should be much smaller, based on the size of explosive, and location. The extent of the noise is reliant on weather conditions on the day. There is no cause for alarm, however dog owners may want to consider making arrangements if they have an anxious dog. Tips include putting your dog in your garage with a radio on as background noise and ensuring your dog is secure and not able to run away in fear of the noises.

02.01.2022 Strong winds coming and lots of pile burns notified on the books... This is a prudent reminder. Please notify, please monitor, please extinguish and please extinguish. (And that wasn’t a typo...)

02.01.2022 12 months ago today, a lightning strike kicked off the North Black Range fire, as well as the Currowan fire. It was the start of the longest continuous firefighting effort the district has seen. Thank all those who helped in any way - it was fantastic the way our community pulled together in a crisis. It's been a rugged twelve months, and if you need any help, make sure you ask for it. We're posting again the video we put together for our Brigade members acknowledging their contribution to the fire fighting effort as a reminder to all to start switching on again this season... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOGLj8WZw0A