Exeter, Tasmania, November 13, 2023 Firefighters from across the northern parts of Tasmania responded to a 1000-cubic-meter mulch pile fire that quickly spread into surrounding bushland.
On arrival, firefighters were met with an enormous pile of mulch well alight, with surrounding machinery and structures at risk. Arriving crews performed asset protection on a number of pieces of heavy machinery and structures. As spot fires continued to occur, Firefighters worked to cut off the head of the fire, which was now moving through the bushland. The size of the pile made extinguishment and containment difficult, as crews couldn’t access the seat of the fire easily – so several on-site machines were used to help create access points for firefighters to apply CAFS.
Two helicopters bucketed the bushfire and the pile, while multiple water tankers and bulk water carriers were deployed to address water supply issues. CAFS appliances were also responded from around the northern parts of the state to apply foam to the pile.
When we arrived on scene, our first priority was to protect a loader parked near the mulch pile, prevent the fire from spreading to an adjacent pile of unburnt mulch, and stop the fire from spreading towards homes and properties in a southeasterly direction. The fire was burning intensely in the mulch pile, generating a lot of heat. We used a combination of water and foam to protect the loader and the unburnt pile. We also used machinery to cut breaks and drop dangerous trees to prevent the fire from spreading.
OIC Gravelly Beach Fire Station
Thanks to Gravelly Beach for photos and video.
Stations in attendance:
| Tas Fire | Other |
|---|---|
| Legana Prospect Winkleigh Glengarry Beaconsfield Dilston Gravelly Beach Westbury | Firebird 729 West Tamar SES West Tamar 1 Northern Region 1 West Tamar Council |
