Australian government deploys army reservists, third navy ship to support firefighters

[rooster59]

Australian government deploys army reservists, third navy ship to support firefighters

By Will Ziebell

 

A view of a historical cave house which firefighters tried to protect, aftermath of bushfires, in Jenolan Caves, New South Wales, Australia January 1, 2020 in this picture obtained from social media. Picture taken January 1, 2020. COURTESY JENOLAN CAVES RFS/via REUTERS

 

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The Australian government said on Saturday that thousands of army reservists would be deployed to help communities hit by spreading wildfires and a third navy ship had been readied to support evacuations from coastal towns.

 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said up to 3,000 members of the Australian Defence Force Reserve would be deployed, defence force bases would provide temporary accommodation, and A$20 million ($14 million) would be spent to lease four fire-fighting planes to deal with the bushfire crisis.

 

"The scale of the fires is stretching resources on the ground and there are clearly communities that need additional help," Morrison told journalists on Saturday.

 

Morrison also announced the HMAS Adelaide had been readied to support the evacuation of coastal populations near the border of the states of New South Wales and Victoria.

 

"The Adelaide is fully equipped for disaster relief and humanitarian aid, is able to operate helicopters, with 400 crew, including medical staff, as well as 300 tonnes of emergency relief supplies," Morrison said.

 

The MV Sycamore and the HMAS Choules navy ships have already started to evacuate thousands from the coastal town of Mallacoota in southeastern Australia.

 

Extensive bushfires have killed 23 people since September, Morrison said. More than 5 million hectares (13 million acres) of land has been burnt.

 

($1 = 1.4386 Australian dollars)

 

(Reporting by Will Ziebell; Editing by Kim Coghill)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-04

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

 

 

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

and A$20 million ($14 million) would be spent to lease four fire-fighting planes to deal with the bushfire crisis.

He should be spending whatever it takes with as many fire-fighting planes and helicopters to put it out as soon as possible, and not worry about penny pinching, 4 planes, come on mate, after all you spend millions on refugees and overseas countries, but your own big backyard is on blaze, you can't just think that a garden hose is going to put it out.

[tifino]

so, this has become the first ever en-masse compulsory callout, of every available Reservist - into full time service... for a very long time. 

 

It is known/ well assumed, that many reservists already are donning firefighter uniforms, already at the fires 

 

The Gov't has provided a proviso, that Reservists who have their homes threatened, and those already fighting at 'the front' - are exempted from this Call Up.

 

 

 

So here becomes the quandary for those Reservists: 

 

 - do they simply go on fighting as a volunteer, and accept some sought of possible compensation? (of approx $3000)

 

or

 

 - do they step down from their current volunteering, and don their military garb? ( and accept a massive pay rise, going from Part Time weekend warrior rates... instead to Full Time Service) 

 

 

[madmen]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

He should be spending whatever it takes with as many fire-fighting planes and helicopters to put it out as soon as possible, and not worry about penny pinching, 4 planes, come on mate, after all you spend millions on refugees and overseas countries, but your own big backyard is on blaze, you can't just think that a garden hose is going to put it out.

He spent 250 million $$ refurbishing his jet and capped payouts to firefighters at $11 million..nothing left to say..except he was pressured into bringing the army

[EvetsKram]

7 hours ago, tifino said:

so, this has become the first ever en-masse compulsory callout, of every available Reservist - into full time service... for a very long time. 

 

It is known/ well assumed, that many reservists already are donning firefighter uniforms, already at the fires 

 

The Gov't has provided a proviso, that Reservists who have their homes threatened, and those already fighting at 'the front' - are exempted from this Call Up.

 

 

 

So here becomes the quandary for those Reservists: 

 

 - do they simply go on fighting as a volunteer, and accept some sought of possible compensation? (of approx $3000)

 

or

 

 - do they step down from their current volunteering, and don their military garb? ( and accept a massive pay rise, going from Part Time weekend warrior rates... instead to Full Time Service) 

 

 

They will be paid.  I was a regular during the 70's when the Cobar fires happened,  our battalion was sent out to it.  I don't get why it's taken this long for Morrison act

[Scott]

Off-topic, bickering posts and replies removed.  

 

[JHolmesJr]

I can't believe the pictures Im seeing of these fires...esp the ones in Mallacoota (sp?).

Apocalyptic....hope they can put them out and rescue people without loss of life and property.

[champers]

Serious question: Is there any real danger to the big urban centres like Melbourne and Sydney? It is sometimes difficult to comprehend the scale of Australia as an outsider.

[Mick501]

50 minutes ago, champers said:

Serious question: Is there any real danger to the big urban centres like Melbourne and Sydney? It is sometimes difficult to comprehend the scale of Australia as an outsider.

Perhaps some of the semi rural suburbs at the fringes could be under threat due to the proximity of forested areas.  The greater city areas have a few nature reserves though they are generally well maintained and don't build up the fuel load.  If any went up then a few houses might be threatened but they are not really large enough areas to replicate the carnage in the bush.  

 

The have been regular fires over the years that jeopardise houses on the fringes, particularly in Sydney as it is surrounded on 3 sides by bush.  I don't ever recall a large scale bush fire making progress further than that.  They run out of the fuel load required to burn at the same intensity.

 

in 2003/04 there were large scale bushfires in Canberra and some relatively central suburbs were threatened and about 1000 houses lost.  Canberra is more of a rural setting and decentralised.

[daveAustin]

52 minutes ago, champers said:

Serious question: Is there any real danger to the big urban centres like Melbourne and Sydney? It is sometimes difficult to comprehend the scale of Australia as an outsider.

Penrith's at risk apparently, about 50k from Sydney. Huge hot winds. As Mick says, though, different cup of tea.

[brokenbone]

it is said that january 23 1906 "black tuesday"

was the most wide spread fire on record,

almost the entire state of victoria was set ablaze,

an area 4 times higher then today

 

January 23, 1906, so-named because on that day almost the whole of the State (of Victoria) was ablaze”

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiIoLD80urmAhXs7nMBHYAxA-QQFjACegQIAxAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fams.confex.com%2Fams%2Fpdfpapers%2F155748.pdf&usg=AOvVaw26tndfMUmTIlmaBoeR-3kr

[dallen52]

1 hour ago, champers said:

Serious question: Is there any real danger to the big urban centres like Melbourne and Sydney? It is sometimes difficult to comprehend the scale of Australia as an outsider.

The possibility is there. 

These things kick off on the suburban fringes and if hot enough and the wind is going the wrong way,  they can be 100 metres high and jump 4 miles ahead of you. 

Temperature up around 50c and these things suck the air into them.

I've been in situations where we could only drop the hoses and get the truck out of there. (ex volunteer)

The fire behind me was now several miles in front. 

Gum trees exude eucalyptus oil and virtually explode with the heat and fire.

 

Had on on my daughter's doorstep yesterday. (Pic)

I've been through a few, but the scale and magnitude of this lot is unlike anything I encountered. 

Scarey stuff...

Victoria's Premier declared a state of disaster. 

Aerial water bombings the main weapon used but you still have thousands of volunteers and paid people on the ground...

And then countless days of watching after. 

Hard to believe that half a billion (that's right) 500 million animals and wildlife have been wiped out so far.

Not to mention the human life's....

Tragically sad...

 

 

 

[tifino]

4 hours ago, dallen52 said:

and jump 4 miles ahead of you. 

Temperature up around 50c and these things suck the air into them.

yeah... that's how in 2009; how the Bunyip Ridge end of the fires - jumped from the Bunyip Hills, and spread over to the dairy farmlands, leaped the expansively wide separated Princes Hwy, and landed on the next hill rise to the South... It then again leaped entirely clear over the Drouin Golf Course.  Once over the other side of the Course, it petered out - but still... the ashes swamped our back lawn, 3km further away. 

 RAAF P3C Orion was above, pattern mapping the spread... 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

Better late than never.