By Kath Gannaway
TWO Yarra Valley firefighters have flown to Canada as part of the 53-member Australian contingent fighting wildfires in British Columbia.
Healesville CFA fire behaviour analyst Tim McKern and DELWP helicopter co-ordinator John Carter, who works out of Woori Yallock and Powelltown offices are among Victorian forest fire staff from DELWP, CFA and Parks Victoria who left Australia on 18 July to help manager more than 140 out-of-control fires in the British Columbia province.
The Mail spoke with Tim McKern as he headed out of Tullamarine for what could be a 42-day deployment.
Leaving his wife, Nicole and two littlies Caitlin and Tasman, he said his motivation for signing on went back to the Black Saturday fires in 2009 when he worked with American and Canadian firefighters who came to Victoria’s aid.
“It was a really good experience to work with other people and share the skills and the fire knowledge,” Mr McKern said.
“I see it as returning the favour … repaying the commitment they made to Victoria back then.”
While the type of forest fire may be different, Mr McKern said the process was essentially the same with analysing fuel types, weather patterns and other factors to determine where a fire might potentially end up.
Mr Carter is familiar with the territory, having been part of the Australian contingent fighting fires in Canada in 2015.
Like Mr McKern, he told the Mail back then that although the vegetation was different, Canada and Australia worked under similar structures to combat forest fires.
He said having worked with the Canadian fire-fighters in the Australian bushfire seasons of ’02-’03, ’06-07’ and ’09 the joint experience stood the Australian fire-fighters in good stead.
Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley said the aim was to support Australia’s Canadian counterparts to bring the wildfires under control as quickly as possible.
“We are proud of the relationship Australia has built with Canada over the past 15 years, and the support we can provide during their time of need,” he said.
