March 5, 2009

Nick McCabe suffered serious burns the last time he fought fires in Victoria, but making the decision to help out again was easy.
The veteran of big forest fires in New Zealand and Australia was to fly to the fire ravaged state today with five other Waimea Rural Fire Authority firefighters after a second request for help from the Australian Government.
Mr McCabe was one of six firefighters who needed hospital treatment for injuries suffered during a wildfire flare- up in northeast Victoria in December 2006.
He told The Nelson Mail that despite suffering serious burns to his hands and face on that trip, the decision to return had been easy and he was looking forward to the opportunity.
'You see what some of the people have been through. You want to help.'
Mr McCabe said it was difficult for some people to imagine the scale of the Australian fires.
He said such large fires were divided up into sections so crews could work on them effectively.
As a rural fire manager, he was likely to be asked to work as a divisional supervisor.
Of the five other members of the Waimea Rural Fire Authority, three had helped fight fires in Australia on other occasions.
The crew were among 57 New Zealand firefighters leaving for Australia aboard a New Zealand Defence Force aircraft this afternoon.
Civil Defence Minister John Carter said the fires had moved into the water catchments above Melbourne and firefighters would try to limit damage that could have a long-term effect on Melbourne's water supply.
The firefighters will replace the initial New Zealand contingent of 53 firefighters sent to Victoria at the height of the bushfires, which have claimed more than 200 lives.
Alan Thompson, an information officer for the national rural fire authority, said the fresh firefighters would be working in the Yarraville state forest, about two hours' drive from Melbourne.
The New Zealand crews would be required to walk into remote forests to fight fire without hoses, relying on hand tools and machinery to contain the flames.
Victorian officials asked New Zealand for continuing help to protect the catchments because our firefighters have extensive experience in fighting fire in dense forest on rugged terrain.