Australian authorities have warned of a dangerous bushfire summer as hot, dry conditions spread across the country, despite a fleet of about 170 aircraft being positioned to tackle fires.
Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain inspected the resources at the large air tanker base at RAAF Richmond, north-west of Sydney, alongside senior fire officials.
The equipment on display included a C-130 air tanker carrying 15,000 litres of retardant, a Cessna Citation used to oversee firefighting operations and helicopters involved in sling operations.
“We’ve made sure that this fleet is fit for every event,” Ms McBain said.
Patrick Hetherington, of the National Emergency Management Agency, said officials believed the aircraft available would be sufficient for the coming season and beyond.
“We’re confident that we have the aircraft we need for this season and the seasons ahead,” he said.
However, NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Trent Curtin warned that the air fleet could not guarantee the safety of every community facing fire.
“We’re expecting to see some dangerous conditions this summer,” Mr Curtin said. “We’ll see dry and hot conditions in various parts of the country and communities will be under threat.”
Fire authorities used the visit to urge Australians to prepare their homes and families before conditions worsen.
“If you haven’t prepared your home, if you haven’t downloaded a warnings app, or if you haven’t jumped onto your local fire service website to prepare yourself and to prepare your family, now’s the right time to do that,” Mr Curtin said.
