Country Fire Service

In reply to the Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN (23 March 2016).

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety): I am advised:

Aerial firefighting chemicals are divided into three categories; foams, water enhancers, and retardants. Blaze Tamer 380 is classified as a water enhancer. The South Australian Country Fire Service (CFS) currently uses three different types of water enhancers including Blaze Tamer 380 for aerial firefighting.

Although no Blaze Tamer 380 water enhancing product was used at the Sampson Flat or Pinery fires, I am advised aerial firefighting water enhancing products used at the Sampson Flat fire were taken from existing CFS stocks held at Woodside and Gawler airbases.

These water enhancers are operationally equivalent products to Blaze Tamer 380 and used extensively across Australia and in the Northern Hemisphere. They are also listed on the USDA qualified products list.

I am further advised by the CFS, a decision was made to use aerial firefighting foam during the Pinery fire based on the Air Attack Supervisors' operational assessments, in consultation with bomber pilots and ground crew assessments of the conditions and fire behaviour on-scene.

However, the CFS used 620 litres of Blaze Tamer 380 concentrate to undertake 34 drops (102,000 litres) on the Kyeema and Mosquito Hill fires during this last summer. The CFS stocks and uses Blaze Tamer 380 out of its Cherry Gardens Airbase.

Cherry Gardens is traditionally the busiest airbase in the Adelaide Hills after Woodside and all water enhancer product used from this base is Blaze Tamer 380.