By YASEMIN TALAT
WYNDHAM’S fire crews were among the brave volunteers who helped tackle the worst fires in Victoria since Black Saturday last week.
Just after midday on Sunday 9 February the Werribee Fire Brigade Volunteers were assigned to a strike team, made up of five tankers and a command vehicle, which responded to fires in Gisborne South and Riddles Creek.
The crew saved several houses from burning and even rescued a man trapped in a home.
Deputy Group Officer Damien Milloy, who was the strike team leader, was at the scene on Sunday afternoon where he and his team worked from midday to midnight helping protect homes from the fires.
“I guess the biggest challenge was the speed in which the fires were moving,” Mr Milloy said.
“Also the area we were working in had a number of hilly terrains and a number of gullies.
“As the fire comes uphill it travels very fast and it gets extra speed, so working in that undulating area the speed of the fire was quite vast.”
Mr Milloy said the team also assisted residents who stayed back to protect their homes, giving them much needed support.
“In the area we were we didn’t lose any structures, so no houses or properties were lost,” Mr Milloy said.
Round the clock firefighting operations in different fire effected areas continued throughout the week, with volunteers working tirelessly to protect properties and people.
Several Wyndham brigades made up the Strike team 1401, including Werribee, Hoppers Crossing, Truganina and Point Cook.
While the crews were away from home base other volunteers continued to provide fire and rescue protection to the Wyndham community.
