Wildfire Deployment

Only one known wildfire deployment of fire shelters has occurred in Australia. While investigating the spread of the Tumut River fire on 6 March 1965 a colleague and I attempted to cross the head of the fire burning under extreme conditions (Temp 29 C, RH 15%, Wind Speed 55 km h-1, FFDI = 70) at around 4.5 km h-1 through high-elevation forests of Snow Gum (E. pauciflora) and Mountain Gum (E. dalrympleana) interspersed with snow grass plains. When it was clear we would be overrun by the head fire we left the vehicle, because at that time we were not confident about using the car for protection, and deployed tents in a green soak beside the road. On later reflection I concluded that:

• the fact that we were carrying protective shelters influenced the decision to travel across the path of the head fire under extreme fire danger conditions;
• up until a few minutes before being forced to deploy I was confident we would reach a safe area;
• sitting out in the car on the road, although more exposed to the wind and flames, would have been safer and more comfortable than in the tents;
• the fire intensity at the soak was considerably less than the average intensity of the fire at that time, estimated to be around 33 000 kW m-1;
• the site selected for deployment was the only natural refuge in the 7.5 kilometres of road crossed by high-intensity fire; and,
• survival at other locations along the road where the vegetation reflected more accurately the average intensity of the fire would not have been certain.