March 3, 2009

Another contingent of NZ firefighters with high country firefighting experience being sent to Victoria to help contain bush fires
A second contingent of New Zealand firefighters will fly to Melbourne tomorrow on an Air Force Hercules to help battle the Victoria bush fires.
The team of 57 will relieve the New Zealanders who have been in Australia for the past fortnight. They have been selected for their remote high country and forestry firefighting experience.
The crew will walk into remote areas to fight wildfires by back burning, using hand tools and machinery to cut firebreaks. Sixteen of the original contingent of 53 will stay on for another week.
Yesterday, police sent another three-man victim identification team to Melbourne to relieve those sent last month.