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General Climbing Discussion

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Bushfires 28-Jan-2006 At 9:51:55 AM tmarsh

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On 27/01/2006 almontyrat wrote:
>Yes the CFA do a fantastic job and must be comended for volunteering their
>time and effort. Please also spare a thought for the other agencies and
>workers out there especially the contract grader & bulldozer dirvers and
>helitac pilots who saved our asses on more than one occasion.

I had the dubious pleasure of being involved in putting out a spot fire in forest in the Strathbogie ranges a few weeks ago. While myself and other neighbours were trying to establish a perimeter around it with hand tools, we could hear a godalmighty crashing sound coming from up the overgrown fire trail. It turned out a forestry operator was nearby, saw the smoke and drove his skidder to lend a hand. Think a huge articulated bulldozer, hinged in the middle, with a massive blade at the front and a dangling claw at the back. In 5 minutes this thing did more than 20 humans could have achieved in a day.

Aparrently, it's a condition of a lot of forestry leases that the operators lend manpower and equipment in the event of a fire. Nevertheless these guys are really putting their lives on the line when it's not strictly speaking their job.

And a big thanks to those people who are paid to be there: well done guys.