Wilmington Fire

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:07): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services and Correctional Services. Will the minister update the council on the recent fire at Mount Remarkable?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (Minister for Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Autism, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:07): I thank the honourable member for his question. The Wilmington fire at Mount Remarkable National Park has now been contained for nearly two weeks, thanks to the tireless firefighting efforts of personnel and volunteers on the ground and in the air.

I am advised that on 3 February 2025 at around 5.30pm the CFS responded to a scrub fire near Alligator Gorge in the Flinders Ranges. I understand that, due to thick scrub and hard to access terrain, the fire continued to burn. We know that over 5,400 hectares of steep, rugged, and often inaccessible terrain was looked after and maintained by the CFS and many other volunteers. It was confirmed to be under control by 24 February, and it is now back in the control of the landowner, National Parks.

This fire has been the most significant fire event of the fire season so far, and hopefully it remains that way. It required an extensive and coordinated response effort due to the conditions I have just outlined. I travelled to Wilmington and met with Regional Commander Sandy McCourt, who is responsible for the largest region in the state. Sandy gave me a tour around regional headquarters in Port Augusta, where I met the hardworking team who put their community first, including people like Quinton.

While the Wilmington fire was actively burning, Quinton, who has two kids, also had to manage school drop-offs and pick-ups and keep the family life going. It is a reminder that when a natural disaster happens life at home doesn't stop, but our dedicated emergency services still go to the job every day.

I also had the privilege of checking out the incident management centre, which was a hive of activity, where Jason Druwitt, a CFS incident controller, got the maps out and explained the fire's behaviour. Later that day, I had the privilege of visiting the staging ground at the local football club where all aerial and ground support would come to refuel before heading out to the fireground. Almost 1,200 personnel were involved in the firefighting efforts, including highly skilled teams from the CFS and the Department for Environment and Water.

I am advised six strike teams, involving more than 150 firefighters a day, aircraft and farm fire units worked to establish and maintain a perimeter around the fire, and to extinguish any hotspots. Firefighters worked around the clock in extreme heat on difficult slopes and in conditions that were both physically demanding and unpredictable. Their efforts on the ground were supported by aerial firefighting resources, which played a crucial role in containing the fire.

It is my understanding that the help suppressed the fire, and firefighting aircrafts made 554 drops and delivered approximately 1.4 million litres of water. Not only was the aerial support instrumental in slowing down the fire but, in areas of difficult access for ground crews due to steep terrain, it was imperative. We should all be very proud that South Australia leads the way with strong aerial firefighting responses to major fire events. Through the CFS, we have over 30 aircraft available for quick action to keep our community safe.

Despite the intensity of the Wilmington fire, the significant effort of many firefighters involved prevented any major property loss. Alligator Lodge, a three-bedroom lodge in the fire zone, was successfully protected. The property damage was limited to just one toilet. The quick action of both DEW and CFS firefighters prevented further property loss and highlighted the level of coordination, professionalism and effectiveness of the firefighting teams. Volunteers from all sides of the state travelled to Wilmington to provide assistance, including the Salvation Army, and thank you to Reno, Wayne, Linda and Neal, who also put their hands up to travel across the state to provide hot meals to volunteers. And thank you to St John Ambulance, who kept our community safe and our volunteers safe as well.

I would like to also acknowledge the incredible outpouring of support from the communities in Wilmington and Port Augusta. As I have mentioned in the chamber before, the thankyou cards written by the children at the Wilmington Primary School made a huge impact on the CFS volunteers. These cards were circulated to all volunteers to read during their breaks at the fire staging ground, and also were provided to the senior firefighter injured while in service. A massive shout-out to the local community of Wilmington, who proactively donated food supplies and other forms of assistance to those on the frontline. The staging area was well filled with donations from the local community.

Events like the Wilmington fire reinforce the importance of a strong partnership between government agencies, non-profit organisations and engaged local communities. It was a fantastic effort from all sides, and I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to the firefighters, emergency personnel, volunteers and local residents who played a role in responding to the fire.