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There have been calls for an inquiry into exactly how the devastating Orroral Valley fire started a year ago after the Defence Department published pictures of the moments of ignition. One picture shows a badly burned underside of the ADF helicopter which landed and sparked the blaze. The looming first anniversary of the blaze which burnt through 80 per cent of Namadgi National Park has also sparked calls for compensation from the Commonwealth government because the fire started when a military helicopter landed and the heat from its landing light set the tinder-dry valley alight. It took 45 minutes for the military to give the exact location of the fire to the civilian fire-fighting authorities. Fire watchers saw the smoke rising but couldn’t identify the exact location even though the military knew it. Firefighters believe that they might have contained the fire if they had known where it was. “I’m very concerned about the delay in reporting the fire and how that affected the severity,” the President of the National Parks Association ACT, Esther Gallant, said. “What we need is some kind of formal investigation into the event there.” The President of the National Parks Association believes that local property owners who lost property could be compensated by the Commonwealth government because the ADF started the fire. “If the fire was started by the actions of the helicopter, should there be compensation to private individuals who lost their property?” she asked. The ACT’s Chief Minister Andrew Barr has ruled out a “witch hunt”. “There are lessons that can be learnt but I am not interested in witch hunts about Defence personnel. It was regrettable the incident occurred, it was regrettable they didn’t call it in earlier,” he said. “What are you seeking to achieve in a witch hunt?” Property owners The Canberra Times talked to weren’t blaming the individual military people in the helicopter. READ MORE: But some did think there should be an inquiry to get to the facts of the matter. They want to know what the rules on the ground were and the systems of communication. And they think there should be compensation. “ACT farmers are very disappointed that the Commonwealth hasn’t stepped up sooner and paid compensation to the nine farmers who lost fencing,” Tom Allen, president of the ACT Rural Landowners Association said. One theory put forward to explain the delay is that young soldiers are trained for war and not for fire so they simply didn’t understand the nature of the danger in the Orroral Valley. The pictures of the helicopter released by the ADF show serious scorching to the aircraft’s under-belly. When the pilots realised there was smoke coming from their aircraft, they would have lifted-off in a dangerous situation. Those calling for an enquiry say that its purpose would be to see if training about awareness of fire could be improved. The other big question is how the military structure communicates with civilian authorities in fires and other emergencies.
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One picture shows a badly burned underside of the ADF helicopter which landed and sparked the blaze.
The looming first anniversary of the blaze which burnt through 80 per cent of Namadgi National Park has also sparked calls for compensation from the Commonwealth government because the fire started when a military helicopter landed and the heat from its landing light set the tinder-dry valley alight.
Fire watchers saw the smoke rising but couldn’t identify the exact location even though the military knew it. Firefighters believe that they might have contained the fire if they had known where it was.
“I’m very concerned about the delay in reporting the fire and how that affected the severity,” the President of the National Parks Association ACT, Esther Gallant, said.
“What we need is some kind of formal investigation into the event there.”
The President of the National Parks Association believes that local property owners who lost property could be compensated by the Commonwealth government because the ADF started the fire.
“If the fire was started by the actions of the helicopter, should there be compensation to private individuals who lost their property?” she asked.
The ACT’s Chief Minister Andrew Barr has ruled out a “witch hunt”.
“There are lessons that can be learnt but I am not interested in witch hunts about Defence personnel. It was regrettable the incident occurred, it was regrettable they didn’t call it in earlier,” he said.
“What are you seeking to achieve in a witch hunt?”
Property owners The Canberra Times talked to weren’t blaming the individual military people in the helicopter.
But some did think there should be an inquiry to get to the facts of the matter. They want to know what the rules on the ground were and the systems of communication.
And they think there should be compensation.
“ACT farmers are very disappointed that the Commonwealth hasn’t stepped up sooner and paid compensation to the nine farmers who lost fencing,” Tom Allen, president of the ACT Rural Landowners Association said.
One theory put forward to explain the delay is that young soldiers are trained for war and not for fire so they simply didn’t understand the nature of the danger in the Orroral Valley.
The pictures of the helicopter released by the ADF show serious scorching to the aircraft’s under-belly. When the pilots realised there was smoke coming from their aircraft, they would have lifted-off in a dangerous situation.
Those calling for an enquiry say that its purpose would be to see if training about awareness of fire could be improved. The other big question is how the military structure communicates with civilian authorities in fires and other emergencies.
The Orroral Valley fire as seen from south Canberra. Picture: Jamila Toderas
