Mindarabin bushfire: Shire president Kate O’Keeffe says massive community response helping fight wild blaze
Gnowangerup’s shire president said a huge community-wide response to a massive bushfire that threatened large parts of the shire has been dampened by the shocking news of young farmer’s death.
Shire of Gnowangerup president Kate O’Keeffe said firefighters had worked overtime to manage the blaze, which threatened large parts of the shire and the Ongerup town site on Tuesday.
But just as they felt they had the fire under control, they were rocked by the news that a member of a local farmer response unit had been killed when a tree fell onto his vehicle on Old Ongerup Road.
“We got to the stage last night when we were just about celebrating that we had got through without losing a home or a farm, then that happened,” Cr O’Keeffe said.
“It seems it was a freak accident, but it was a tragic end to an event which had the potential to be disastrous.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
She said the community response to the fire had been tremendous, and thanked the Department of Fire and Emergency Services for their efforts, while promising the shire would review its own management of the incident.
“Without the help of the water bombers there would have been a very different outcome, so we thank DFES for their help,” she said.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime fire event, and I am sure a lot of people in the shire would not have seen anything like it.
Camera IconFirefighters and local farmers are still on the ground. Credit: Graeme Savage
“I think the chief fire officers handled the situation really well.
“But, as ever, we will look back as a shire and see what we could have done better.
“But on the whole, it seemed to be managed well.”
Watch and act alerts spanned an area bounded by Tie Line Road, Hart Road, Gnowangerup-Jerramungup Road, Hinkley Road and Mindarabin Road in parts of Jackitup and Mindarabin.
Camera IconThe fire front cuts through crops. Credit: Graeme Savage
Cr O’Keeffe said her husband Bill, a deputy chief fire control officer, and her two sons were all involved in fighting the fire and had all returned home safely.
The shire’s staff was also helping to fight the blaze when it was out of control on Tuesday.
“It was very hectic with things changing quite dramatically and with difficult weather conditions,” she said.
“The shire’s whole workforce was out there.
She said the community had been as well prepared as possible.
“The community response has been tremendous,” she said.
“The shire has been proactive with training programs and ensuring everyone has the necessary protective equipment.
“It was very windy and very hot; not good conditions to be fighting the fire, and the fire front was significant.”
Photos coming through on Tuesday afternoon from near the fire front, showed the sheer size of the blaze.
The bushfire, which sparked emergency level warnings for a range of areas in the Great Southern, has burnt more than 5500ha.
Camera IconBurnt bushland after the Mindarabin bushfire went through on Tuesday. Credit: Kate O’Keeffe/SuppliedCamera IconThe Mindarabin bushfire as seen from 24km south of Borden. Credit: Supplied
