The 10,000-litre LAT and crew have touched down at Bundaberg Airport located approximately 4 hours north of the Queensland capital of Brisbane for bushfire season. Being based in Bundaberg means the LAT can readily respond in coastal and inland areas across Queensland.
A Eurocopter and a waterbombing Blackhawk join the LAT in Bundaberg, supporting hardworking Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ) staff and volunteer firefighters, and Queensland Fire & Rescue (QFR) personnel.
On standby at Toowoomba Airport for the fire season are two Bell 214B helicopters, two AirTractor AT-802 Fixed wing bombers, two air attack supervision platforms, and a specialist intelligence-gathering light helicopter.
This brings the Queensland Fire Department’s (QFD) contracted aerial fleet to 13 aircraft with a total waterbombing capacity of more than 32,000 liters.
QFD has access to approximately 150 additional aircraft, available on-call when needed.
The aircraft fleet is coordinated by QFD’s experienced State Air Desk, ensuring the best combination of aircraft, personnel and resources for major bushfires.
Member for Bundaberg Tom Smith:
“The LAT is an important fire season asset for the Bundaberg community and Queensland. The LAT and fleet of firefighting helicopters and fixed wings are a Miles Government investment in doing what matters for bushfire safety,” said local government Member for Bundaberg Tom Smith.
“Our aircraft play a significant role in supporting crews on the ground during major bushfires but aren’t limited to just waterbombing. They are also used for mapping, intelligence and planning throughout the season,” stated Queensland Fire Department Commissioner Steve Smith.
“As part of RFSQ’s preparations for each bushfire season, air operations personnel from RFSQ and QFR undertake training to sharpen their skills ahead of the season. Although we work closely with landholders and other agencies to conduct major mitigation work in the lead-up to bushfire season, it is so important that everyone’s properties are ready. It can make all the difference if the worst were to happen,” he continued.
“The biggest risk this bushfire season is expected to be grass fires, which have the potential to spread quickly in the significant fuel loads built up over the past two years due to rainfall. We are already starting to see fire activity and we are keeping a close eye on conditions. QFD’s aerial firefighting fleet will continue to provide significant support to ground crews as we see fire activity increase over the coming months,” stated Rural Fire Service Queensland Chief Officer Ben Millington.
