Delroy NSW Fire and Rescue assists at Coonabarabran
Published Date: 17 Jan 2013
Summary
The Dubbo based NSW Fire and Rescue Delroy Brigade were sent to the thick of the Warrumbungles bushfire on Sunday 13th January 2013.
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Daily Liberal
Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters from Delroy Fire Station were involved in the strike team that saved the valuable telescopes of the Siding Spring Observatory last Sunday night.
A 50-minute trip was extended by two hours as the Strike Team carefully travelled up to the observatory, cutting through fences to avoid fallen power poles and burning trees.
Four firefighters from Delroy were part of a 13-strong team that carried out the brave property protection operation conducted after the inferno of the Wambelong fire had swept through the observatory.
Fire and Rescue NSW Coonabarabran Captain Phil Mangan said the crews left about 8pm and arrived at the observatory at 11pm, only to be buffeted by "astronomical" winds in conditions so heated the windscreens of their trucks were too hot to touch.
"You couldn't drive at more than 20km/h," he said of the hazardous conditions.
The small team saved what they could of the many burning buildings using the water lines at the observatory to douse the flames.
When crews arrived on the scene Captain Mangan said the information centre at the observatory was "surrounded by fire" which took an hour to extinguish.
The administration building was also alight with thick smoke surrounding the area.
Crews saved the fire truck from the observatory fire station and also salvaged a ute which still had the keys in it.
Gas cylinders near telescopes on the site were a priority and focused on for 30-minute periods while spot fires were also dealt with.
"They have a large refrigerator set up for the telescope," Captian Mangan said.
There was no saving the accommodation lodge at the observatory, which was "totally involved in fire", according to Captain Mangan.
In the early morning two crews returned to base while the crew consisting of Dubbo, Narrabri and Gunnedah firefighters stayed with a truck at the observatory.
"The Dubbo crew monitored it for the rest of the night," Captain Mangan said.
"I think the Dubbo crew came back down at 8.30am."
