Heathcote 81 Crew
As the summer of 1982-83 approached, most of N.S.W. was affected by the prolonged drought which had existed for more than four years. Coastal areas were particularly affected, and tinder dry conditions existed in many forested areas, including the Sutherland Shire.
At 0600 hours on the Sunday morning of January 09, 1983, the Fire Control Officer received advice that a Total Fire ban had been declared commencing at 0900 hours and a bushfire alert was issued.
As usual, like any other extreme fire danger day the Heathcote Brigade members attended station 12, Bottleforest Road Heathcote at 0800 hours.
Around 0916 hours triple zero received a call from a member of the public advising of a smoke sighting within the Royal National Park in the location known as Temptation Creek.
By 0918 Loftus Brigade & Group Officer North were on scene and determined the fire was significant and required most of the district’s resources to be deployed to the scene, as was the normal firefighting approach taken to attack the fire.
As the fire progressed to the East it moved rapidly towards the Gray’s Point Public School which came under attack with multiple resources deployed to defend the school.
At around lunchtime the Heathcote 82 tanker’s pump suffered a mechanical failure, and the Brigade’s second tanker Heathcote 81 was deployed to Gray’s Point and relieved the Heathcote 82 tanker.
In the early afternoon it started to rain for a short period. However, at around 1600 hours the temperature remained at 40C with a RH of 20%. The quick rain showers did little to suppress the fire.
It was decided that six firefighting tankers including Heathcote 81 would progress up the Angle Road fire trail tasked with trying to stop the fire.
At around 1620 hours, crew members working near the 81 tanker called out about a person they had seen to the right, higher up on the Angle Road Trail. Two were sent to get the woman to safety, one escorted the woman off the fire ground, while the other returned to Heathcote 81.
It was about 1626 hours. The Heathcote 81 tanker was driven out onto the trail and turned left, pointing down the hill where one of the other six tankers transferred its water to Heathcote 81. At this time the hose line that were working off the side of the trail was pulled in and half the hose was dragged down the hill to Angle Road by 1 member of crew, while the other half was dragged back up to the tanker.
The red call, now known as an Emergency Call, was made at 1628 hours by Heathcote 81 as fire had crossed the trail behind the tanker that had transferred its water, so were requesting information on that tanker’s status / situation.
The fire had progressed such that it was at the point that the tanker and it’s crew could not safely negotiate the way out.
To improve the exit safety one firefighter was dispatched to burn out the remaining vegetation to the south and west of the intersection with the Temptation Creek fire trail. During this period the Heathcote 81 repositioned to the top of the ridge where the woman had been sighted earlier. Approximately 13 minutes after the Red Call the fire struck the tanker in this location.
By 1654 hours the Heathcote 81 crew made their way down the trail on foot to safety meeting the waiting emergency services including Police, Ambulance and Fire + Rescue. All the injured firefighters were transported to Sutherland Hospital with one transported to Concord Burns Unit.
Two firefighters died at the scene and one the next day. Horrific injuries were suffered by all surviving members of the truck’s crew.
The injured firefighters spent from two weeks in hospital up to 6 months with one firefighter spending over 10 months recovering in Concord hospital and a further 12 months of inpatient rehabilitation.
To this day while some moved on, members of the Heathcote 81 crew remained as members of the RFS and continue to voluntarily serve the community. (2024)
The fire was extinguished on 11 January with 377 ha of bush burnt.
Account written by Captain Jim Fowler. Heathcote 81 crew member. Revised by Dr Robert Sawyer, Heathcote 81 crew member and Sharon Campbell, Heathcote 81 crew member.
“For the crew, their families and those directly involved on the 09th of January 1983, this day will be forever etched in their minds as the fire that changed their lives”.
