Wednesday 15th January 2003
The forecast for the weekend was beginning to indicate Extreme Fire Weather conditions. Planning was in full swing to complete containment operations and back burns before it arrived. Ground crews were completing the Bendora Fire containment lines.

NSW crews were putting in a back burn from the Mt Franklin Road heading west down the Honeysuckle track into the Brindabella Valley.

An ACT person was working with the NSW officers to ensure liaison on the ground. Work continued on the containment lines down south on the Stockyard Spur Fire for a major operation on Thursday night. Requests were made to NSW for four taskforces to assist with this operation. A request was also made to Emergency Management Australia for a 30,000- litre water carrier.

Dusk looking at the Stockyard Fire The tranquil beauty of distant cumulus traced in bronze, belie the catastrophic forces to be released by the Stockyard Fire in the Namadgi wilderness two days later.

Photograph © Jeff Cutting


Emergency Service crews
prepared some 880 meals for
crews at Bulls Head Staging
Area until the 17 January
when all crews were
evacuated late in the day.

14th January    front page    16th January

Last updated 24 December 2004