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Bushfires: Out of the frying pan and into the fire for Mangawhai volunteer

 

 

JULIA WADE

thumbnail NZ fire fighting contingent-720As Australia’s landscape was burnt to a cinder in the recent devastating wild fires, many courageous firefighters from all over New Zealand put up willing hands to cross the ditch to help their Aussie counterparts, including one Mangawhai man.

Local volunteer firefighter for four years, Marty Duytshoff, has experienced two deployments with New Zealand’s strike teams in November 2019 and in January this year, along with Paparoa firefighter, Ken Ogilvy. Inspired to sign up due to the Australians ‘going through a pretty tough time’, the 58-year-old worked an average 15 hour days with other volunteer firefighters in New South Wales, and Canberra, for the 16 continual days of his assignments.

“On our first deployment they only had enough people to work through the days so we were assigned to the night shifts, which we were happy to do,” says Marty. “Between the Australians and us, we worked around the clock 24 hours a day, and after five days of doing fire breaks and back-burning, we managed to save two small towns,” the father of two says, who began his long firefighting career in Warkworth as an 18-year-old volunteer in 1979.

“Working together with the Australians was really good, they were very happy to see us and we were very happy to work alongside them.”

 

Community spirit
Assigned to remote areas out from Ballina in NSW and Queanbeyan near Canberra, the strong community spirit of the country Australians was remarkable, Marty says, with people waving to the Kiwis in the streets and a steady flow of locals showing their appreciation by turning up to their town’s fire station with baking, sandwiches, snacks and barbeque for the firefighters, even in the middle the night.

“I remember a little old lady, she would have been in her eighties, asking me how I wanted my coffee when we came in from the bush at three o'clock in the morning,” he says. “I asked her why was she here at such an early time and she said she wanted to help us because we’re trying to save her house. Our presence was well appreciated and in turn we were appreciative of being there and being able to help.”

The Kiwi crew also performed ‘Property Protection’ around homes, and conducted RAFT (Remote Area Fire Team) digging out hot spots and helping specialised tree-felling firefighters to bring down dangerous trees on the very edge of burnt areas, including extinguishing ‘candles’ – hollow gum trees that burn from the inside out ‘like a

chimney, spitting sparks out the top which although look quite impressive, are potentially very dangerous as they can send embers in the sky and start new fires’.

"We also worked with helicopters and monsoon buckets where possible, but sometimes the helicopters were not able to fly because of the lack of visibility due to heavy smoke in the area. The helicopter pilots were fantastic and their precision in monsoon bucket operations was exceptional.”

 

Waiting for the flames
One experience which highlighted the enormity of the fires for Marty, who was a career firefighter in Auckland from 1982-2003, occurred on his second deployment in Canberra where the crew were forced to wait in 40 degree heat while large flames blazed a path towards them.

“We were sent to protect a fire-break which had been made to separate a line of bush from a forest which was on fire and we had to wait as it approached,” he says. “It was amazing to see spot-fires happening right in front of your eyes and then the flames coming over the hill and just engulf these massive trees… the helicopters were little specks up in the air so that gives an indication of the size of the fire.”

Once the fire reached the edge of the fire-break, the team patrolled the area as flames burned only 20 metres away, looking for embers being blown into the unburnt areas and potentially start spot fires.

“The embers can travel quite a distance and if there’s a wind change, which is likely as fires can create their own weather, could spark a whole new fire front,” the former Kawau Island chief fire officer for 14 years says. “You always have to have ‘situational awareness’ so you don't get caught in between the main fire and a new fire that starts from an ember transfer. It is vital to always be aware of your surroundings and stay in contact with the rest of your crew.”

 

People and wildlife resilient
For Marty the plight of the animals lingers as one of the saddest part of his time in Australia, witnessing parched animals forage for non-existent food and water knowing ‘there was nothing you can do’, and seeing fleeing wildlife getting caught between the flames.

“You got the main fire coming in from one direction and then an ember transfer which starts a new spot fire in front of the animals, leaving them trapped in between… often the fire burns that fast nothing can outrun it,” he says. “I’ve come across large spiders which have been surrounded by burnt grass which is now ash and they’re sitting there half-cooked… sometimes there is just no escape.”

While bearing witness to the extreme hardship of residents who have lost their homes, belongings, livelihoods and irreplaceable possessions he says was also incredibly sad, the strength of the Australian people has left an enduring imprint on Marty.

“There’s been a lot of suffering but their resilience is amazing, they’re a hard bunch of people to stay there and carry on… I take my hat off to them,” he says. “It was a great

experience to be able to go out there and help out and hard to leave in a way, because you want to hang around and help out more. I’d go again if needed, sadly there might be a possibility next year…”

New Zealand firefighters and support personnel on deployment during the Australian bush fires. Marty Duytshoff is pictured fourth from right. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
 

The fridge in the fire

thumbnail Fire fridge-249JULIA WADE

Following the Australian bushfires, an unassuming kitchen appliance, a regular looking albeit heavily-signed fridge was welcomed into Canberra’s National Museum of Australia on February 21, via police escort and a convoy of fire trucks.

Placed on a main road in Bungendore through the time of the fires, the fridge was stocked with cold snacks and drinks for passing firefighters by local residents Scott and Claire Hooper, and has now become a symbol of the community’s appreciative and generous spirit.

The fridge was an undeniable welcome sight for firefighters, and while on deployment in Canberra, Mangawhai firefighter Marty Duytshoff was one of many who visited the appliance to quench his thirst.

“It was stocked with cold drinks, ice blocks, snacks and had ‘firees please help yourself’ written on the side,” he says. “Once the community found out about it, they also started stocking it. Every day we would stop in on our way to and from the fire grounds to grab some snacks, particularly after a hard day’s work… it was absolutely fantastic.”

The generosity symbolised by the fridge made such an impact on Marty that he felt compelled to give his ‘challenge coin’, which is gifted to firefighters at the time of deployment, to the appliances owners ‘as a symbol of our appreciation’.

“I talked to my boss and he gave me permission to present the coin to the lady who owns the fridge. When I explained how much we really appreciated being able to stop at the fridge after fighting the fires, she started to become a little bit emotional, she didn't realise how much it meant to us… it was really good,” he says, “Found out later that when she was asked in an interview ‘what was the most memorable moments about the fridge’,

apparently she said ‘receiving the challenge coin from the New Zealand contingency’… goes to show the community’s commitment to the people helping them.”

n To read full story of the fridge please see, ‘the-riotact.com/humble-bungendore-fridge-warms-to-heroic-welcome-in-canberra

A poignant moment: Mangawhai firefighter Marty Duytshoff gifts his ‘challenge coin’ to Australian resident and instigator of the now famous ‘Bungendore fridge’, Claire Hooper. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

 


 
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