“The question that everyone’s asking is, if it had been deployed earlier, would it have put this fire out?” he said on Friday, after earlier calling for an independent inquiry into the response.
In parliament, Mr Ryan described the deployment of resources including the LAT – one of more than 20 aircraft involved in the efforts – as a “matter for the experts”.
“I trust them to make the right decisions,” he said. “We back the experts – it is not for any politician in this place to tell our firefighters when they should use their firefighting equipment.”
With the LAT used every day this week, he added, 3 million litres of water and retardant gel had now been dropped onto the fire. A high-level review announced this week would help ensure “any lessons” can be acted on.
A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said 17 aircraft had dropped 997,000 litres of water on Thursday alone, “significantly” slowing the fire’s spread.
Loading
More than 90 personnel and 38 vehicles from the QFES, Parks and Wildlife, and the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation are also involved in the fight from the ground.
The Environment Department has said Parks and Wildlife staff responded as soon as the fire was reported on October 14 but the remote and inaccessible nature of it had made containment challenging.
One fire burning near Kingfisher Bay Resort and Village, on the island’s west coast, has remained the focus of ground air efforts though crews are also working to strengthen containment lines near Happy Valley in the east. A third fire is burning further north near Cathedrals.
Regional health authorities have warned residents along the Fraser Coast about the “large amount of smoke” and urged them to seek advice if they feel unwell.
Matt Dennien is a reporter with Brisbane Times.
Lydia Lynch is Queensland political reporter for the Brisbane Times
Most Viewed in National
Loading
