NSW Rural Fire Service sends firefighters and helicopters to France as deadly wildfires intensify
Night waterbombing raids flown by Australian firefighters will be a new weapon against France's raging wildfires after calls for help were answered down under.
Two helicopters and 24 personnel will become the first Australian firefighting deployment in Europe as record northern hemisphere heat creates drastic conditions.
For the first time, NSW Rural Fire Service teams will be simultaneously deployed in four countries on three continents, after the federal government answered a call for help from French authorities.
A prolonged summer heatwave has resulted in the deaths of two firefighters and 42,000 hectares being burned in southwest France.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The devastation prompted calls for international help to friends in the midst of a southern winter.
A CH-47D Chinook helicopter, equipped with an 11,300-litre water tank, and a Bell 412 reconnaissance chopper will be sent to help French authorities in the firefighting effort, NSW RFS Commissioner Trent Curtin said.
Mr Curtin said NSW crews are also stationed in the USA and Canada, including the Boeing 737 large air tanker, the Marie Bashir.
“We’ve been doing this for a couple of decades (in North America) so we’re very familiar with the processes of undertaking those deployments,” he told AAP.
“(The French government) understood ... the specialist capability we’ve got with our Chinook helicopter to fly bombing runs at night time.”
Helping friends when local conditions are cooler is not purely altruistic for the NSW RFS.
“In our time of need, particularly during the 2019-2020 bushfire season, we saw international partners come here and support us,” Mr Curtin said.
“The firefighting community is very tight-knit internationally and when one service puts out a call to others across the world, we’re always too happy to help.”
NSW RFS will keep an eye on conditions at home and can quickly send all teams back to Australia should conditions worsen, the commissioner said.
The French firefighting dispatch will be supported by the ADF, including the rapid airlift of the equipment and personnel, Defence Minister Richard Marles said.
“Australia and France work closely together in our region, and we are proud to be supporting them now during their time of need,” Mr Marles said.
