Department of Conservation Wakatipu rural fire officer
Jamie Cowan (right) tells visiting American firefighters
(from left) Pat Chism, Thane Shetler, Jaime Sarabia, Kyle
Gardner and Bob Johnson about the department's suppression
techniques within Queenstown's "red zone", which includes
Ben Lomond mountain. Photo by James Beech
Rural firefighting techniques are being shared by
visiting American firefighters and their counterparts in the
Department of Conservation (Doc) this week.
Five firefighters from the forest and alpine state of
Washington arrived in Queenstown on Sunday and will work and
discuss practices with Doc and rural firefighters in the
Wakatipu and Central Otago over the next two weeks.
The informal exchange programme sprang from an open
invitation issued when firefighters from both nations worked
together in 2008.
Doc Otago deputy principal rural fire officer Trevor
Mitchell, of Dunedin, and Doc Wakatipu rural fire officer
Jamie Cowan yesterday explained to the group about the risk
of fire in the vulnerable "red zone" of densely forested
mountains above Queenstown on Ben Lomond and west on terraces
above the road to Glenorchy which hold residential suburbs
Alpine Retreat and Closeburn.
Senior firefighter Kyle Gardner, of Entiat, said yesterday he
and his colleagues were learning valuable alternative field
techniques. A session of wilding pine clearing was coming up.
"It's different fuels, different topography. We haven't got
on any fire yet, but they use a lot more water than we do,"
Mr Gardner said.
"They have a lot of the same situations, the real hot and dry
areas and we have fire dangers and extreme fire dangers.
"The whole fire command system is basically the same, which
makes it nice for New Zealand firefighters."
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