News Archive
2009
| Mon 17th Aug | Sassafras-Ferny Creek Captain interviewed on ABC 774 Brigade captain John Schauble talks to Jon Faine ahead of the release of the Interim Report of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. Listen to the interview.... |
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| Thu 6th Aug | Don’t be distracted by quick fixes More... (  204KB) |
| Sun 19th Jul | New trucks handed over Two new firefighting vehicles were formally handed over to the brigade by the Hon. James Merlino, at a ceremony at the fire station. More... ( 125KB) |
| Sat 11th Jul | Let’s not throw good policy into the fire Reflections on the ‘prepare, stay and defend or leave early’ policy. More... |
| Fri 12th Jun | Sassafras-Ferny Creek Captain interviewed on ABC 774 Brigade captain John Schauble talks to Jon Faine about issues arising from the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. Listen to the interview (skip to the last 10 minutes of the Hectic Half Hour download) |
| Mon 11th May | 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission Live webcasts of proceedings and submissions to the royal commission are available here. |
| Fri 29th May | Brigade service honoured Awards were presented to a number of members at the brigade's annual dinner in recognition of service and proficiency. More... ( 132KB) |
| Sun 16th Apr | Learn about burns The Department of Sustainability and Environment is seeking to email Dandenongs businesses and residents directly when a planned burn is likely to be held in Dandenong Ranges National Park. More... ( 23KB) |
| Tue 7th Apr | Fire restrictions to end on 20th April CFA fire restrictions will end throughout the Shire of Yarra Ranges, including Sassafras and Ferny Creek, at 1am on 20th April, 2009. Shire of Yarra Ranges local laws apply to burning off in the open. For more information about the local laws, contact the Shire of Yarra Ranges on 1300 368333 or www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au |
| Sun 29th Mar | Check your smoke alarm: Daylight saving ends April 5 Daylight saving ends this Sunday... and that means it’s time to change your smoke alarm batteries. More... |
| 28th Feb | Coming weather conditions Mild weather conditions over the weekend will provide some immediate respite from the fire danger. However, conditions next week - especially on Tuesday - are expected to again raise the local bushfire danger to extreme levels. Residents are reminded to implement their fire plans in advance and consider the conditions before deciding whether to stay and actively defend their properties or leave early. More... |
| 28th Feb | Nixon Rd, Upwey fire The Nixon Rd, Upwey fire, which broke out last Monday, has been contained and is no longer considered a threat to local communities. The fire burnt approximately 355 hectares of private property and parkland managed by Parks Victoria, Melbourne Water and the Shire of Yarra Ranges. Department of Sustainability & Environment crews, along with local CFA crews, will continue to patrol the fire scene over coming days. Crews and one vehicle from Sassafras were involved in blacking out and patrolling the fire as part of a local strike team during the week. |
| 27th Feb | House fire, Hethersett Road, Sassafras An electrical fault has been identified as the cause of a house fire in Hethersett Road which broke out shortly after 8.30am. The resident evacuated safely and called the fire brigade. Smoke detectors were installed and operating. The fire spread extensively through the structure via internal wall, floor and ceiling cavities. Quick intervention by crew wearing breathing apparatus (BA) contained the fire to these areas once the brigade arrived. There was minimal damage to contents and internal fittings. Two vehicles from Sassafras-Ferny Creek were assisted by two from Olinda. Upwey brigade attended with a thermal imaging camera, along with a specialist unit from Bayswater providing BA support. A CFA fire investiagtor and a Shire building surveyor also attended the scene. |
| 26th Feb | Friday a “spike” day The fire danger is expected to reach extreme levels on Friday 27th February across most of the state and including the Dandenong Ranges. Sassafras-Ferny Creek brigade captain John Schauble is urging residents who have not undertaken thorough preparations or who are not confident about remaining to actively defend their properties to consider leaving early. “Recent experience locally has shown that people without a plan are tending to panic and leave at the last minute,” he said. “If you’re going, then go early before there is a fire, without the stress and try enjoy your day elsewhere. Leaving at the last minute once a fire has started in the area is not a realistic option. It’s simply dangerous.” Local schools closed In view of the current high fire danger, all local schools will be closed on Friday, 27th February, following a directive from the Education Department. Community Meeting at Ferny Creek Primary School More than 100 residents attended a community meeting at the Ferny Creek Primary School on the evening of Wednesday 25th February. Brigade Captain John Schauble updated residents on the recent fire activity in Upwey and Belgrave and on the need for heightened preparedness over the coming days. CFA Community Safety presenter Andrew Feagan delivered a shortened Fire Ready meeting. |
| 24th Feb | Fire at Nixon Road, Upwey 23rd February, 2009 A fire which began in grassland off Nixon Road in Upwey shortly before 2.30pm on Monday spread rapidly into scrubland in the Monbulk Creek retarding basin. Fanned by a strong north-westerly wind, the fire was rapidly carried towards houses in the Ryans Road area. Two tankers from Sassafras-Ferny Creek brigade responded to the fire, along with multiple CFA, MFB and DSE vehicles. An Erickson Aircrane and other helicopters provided valuable support as the fire moved towards private properties. A south-westerly wind change later in the afternoon pushed the fire towards Belgrave Heights. The fire was contained early on Tuesday morning. A vehicle and crew from Olinda was stepped up into Sassafras-Ferny Creek station to provide extra security for the local area in addition to Sassafras Pumper, which remained on standby for local calls. A small number of firefighters from the brigade will be helping crew vehicles from elsewhere in the Dandenong Ranges Group at the fire site over the coming days to black out and secure the scene ahead of expected hot and windy conditions on Friday. Members of the brigade auxiliary have also been assisting with the provision of meals to firefighters. |
| 21st Feb | Preparing for the coming week Hot and windy conditions are again predicted on some days next week. This will test the work done to consolidate containment lines on the major fires in and around the Yarra Valley and also to the east at Bunyip. The conditions will also elevate the fire danger in the local area. It is important that residents understand this, make plans and act accordingly. Information on preparing your family and property is available here. |
| Fire Ready Meeting Wednesday 25th February, 7pm Another Fire Ready Victoria meeting will be held at 7pm on Wednesday 25th at Ferny Creek Primary School. The focus of this meeting will be on providing information about preparing your family and property for the risk of fire over the coming weeks. It will not be an operational briefing. Issues relating to the municipality, public lands or issues such as bunkers, refuges or roadside vegetation management, while important and of significant public interest, will not be the focus of the meeting. CFA’s immediate priority is using the tools we have at hand to prepare communities for the risks they may face over the next few weeks. |
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| 19th Feb | First we mourn, then we must learn our place More... |
| 16th Feb |
Victorian Bushfires, February
2009 Local bushfire threat remains high The bushfire threat in the local area remains very high. It will remain so until there is a significant change in the weather and substantial rainfall dampens forest fuels. Residents are advised, if they have not already done so, to develop a bushfire action plan that suits their needs and those of their family. Ample information on how to develop a plan is available from CFA. A good place to start is here. You should also consider joining (or starting) a Community Fireguard group. There are several groups active in the local area. Information on Community Fireguard is available here or by contacting CFA Yarra Area on 8739 1300. On hot and windy days, the fire risk will escalate rapidly. Residents who do not plan to stay and defend their properties must plan to leave early on such days. “Leaving early” means leaving before a fire has started in the area. A safe option is to plan to be out of the area altogether on days of high fire danger. If you don’t understand what constitutes a day of high fire danger, learn more about this here. ( 1.59MB)Once a fire has started in the immediate local area, travel on roads will become dangerous and may have fatal consequences. Staying to defend your property is a complex option. If you want to do this there are several steps you need to take and you must plan in a detailed and methodical way. It also requires a degree of physical fitness and mental preparedness for what will be a difficult and possibly frightening experience. The precise location of your property will be critical in deciding whether to stay and defend or leave early. More... Seeking information Obtaining accurate information about what is going on during a fire will always be difficult, especially in an area such as ours where bushfires always spread quickly. You need to begin gathering information early on high risk days. That means using the CFA and DSE websites, listening to ABC 774 Local Radio, listening for other indications of activity such as fire sirens and truck movements. Please do not ring the fire station seeking information about fires in the area as there may not be anyone in attendance and, if there is, the phone line will be needed for operational purposes. Community meeting About 350 people attended a community meeting at the Ferny Creek Horticultural Society hall on Sunday 15th February. Brigade Captain John Schauble provided an update of the brigade’s commitment to bushfire effort. Community Safety presenter Graham Crichton delivered a truncated Fire Ready session before the floor was opened to questions. Photos... Donating money for bushfire victims A number of appeals to raise money for bushfire relief are being run concurrently. The principal appeal is being run by the Red Cross. Details of how to donate money to that appeal can be found here. |
| 16th Feb | Fire at Peters Rd, Tecoma Three trucks from the brigade attended a scrub fire which broke out in an area between Peters Road and Terrys Avenue shortly after 5pm on Sunday 15th February. A unit from Sassafras-Ferny Creek was first on scene, closely followed by a vehicle from Belgrave, in whose fire district the outbreak occurred. Despite quick action from both brigades, the fire was fanned by a south-easterly breeze and eventually burnt an area of approximately 4.5 hectares. Two water bombing aircraft, a bulldozer and more than 20 fire trucks and crews attended. Homes in the immediate area of Tecoma were at risk from ember attack, but there was no property damage. Threat warnings were issued for residents in Ferny Creek, Sherbrooke, Kallista, Tecoma and Belgrave as the fire developed. The security of the Sassafras and Ferny Creek areas was maintained by “stepping up” a unit from Kalorama brigade into the Sassafras-Ferny Creek fire station. Police are investigating the cause of the fire. |
| 13th Feb | Victorian Bushfires - CFA Community Meeting Sunday, 15th February 2009, 3pm Ferny Creek Horticultural Society, Hilton Rd, Sassafras Melway 75 E1 An update on the current fire situation, community safety issues and local dimensions. All welcome. |
| 11th Feb |
Victorian Bushfires, February
2009 Our community has been extremely fortunate not to have been directly affected by the bushfires that have burned in many parts of the state with tragic consequences. Many members of our brigade have been tasked on fires at Bunyip and in the Yarra Valley on a continuous basis since Saturday. One of our vehicles has been allocated to strike team duty in fire affected areas over the same period. Other brigade members have been involved in communications, logistics and a range of operational roles as volunteers and as CFA staff. The bushfire emergency is far from over. The fire danger locally, while not immediately of concern, could escalate quickly in hot and windy conditions. The brigade’s priority remains to ensure adequate response coverage at a local level. The community’s support is critical to our efforts. Residents are encouraged to review their bushfire plans or to seek further information on how to develop a plan to deal with a local bushfire emergency. The links on this website are a good starting point. Information on the current fire situation can be found here: http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/incidents/incident_updates.htm Information on preparing your family and property for bushfire can be found here: http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/residents/living/index.htm Further information about how to support victims of the current fires and other ways in which you can help can be found here: http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/giving/giving_article.jsp?articleId=4026 The brigade is very appreciative of the many messages of support and offers of assistance we have received over recent days. Thank you. John Schauble Captain |
| Sun 1st Feb | Local fire danger reaches critical point Fire danger in the local area has reached a critical point in recent days. More... |
| Sat 31st Jan | Sassafras unit sent to Endeavour Hills A crew of firefighters and a Sassafras tanker joined the efforts to extinguish a 40 hectare fire that broke out in the vicinity of Churchill Park Drive, Endeavour Hills on Friday. |
2008
| Wed 25th Dec | Seasons Greetings to all in Sassafras and Ferny Creek That big, jolly fellow in red was back in town Christmas Eve. The brigade wishes all in our community safe and joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year. Photo gallery... |
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| Sun 14th Dec | Carols on the Mountain washed out Appalling weather over the weekend forced the cancellation of the popular annual Carols on the Mountain event at Ferny Creek on Saturday night. More... ( 30KB) |
| Sat 13th Dec | Carols on the Mountain cancelled Due to the extreme weather conditions predicted for today, the brigade regrets to announce that Carols on the Mountain 2008 has been cancelled. |
| Wed 19th Nov | Fire Danger Period begins 1st December Residents should note that CFA fire restrictions will come into force across the Shire of Yarra Ranges on Monday 1st December at 1am. |
| Sun 9th Nov | Carols on the Mountain... it's back! The popular Carols on the Mountain will be held at the Ferny Creek Recreation Reserve on Saturday 13 December. More... ( 30KB) |
| Thu 6th Nov | Fire Danger Period to commence soon It's time to do some fire prevention works around your property before the FDP starts, says CFA Yarra Area Operations Manager Graeme Armstrong. More... ( 25KB) |
| Sat 20th Sep | Hazelwood deployment Brigade lieutentant Geoff Horner was among a large contingent of CFA personnel sent to Hazelwood south of Morwell in Gippsland over the past week to combat a fire that broke out in an open cut coal mine there. The fire, which burned for several days, was in a non-operational coal face and did not damage any operational infrastructure. Power supplies and mining operations were not affected. |
| Sun 14th Sep | Cranbourne deployment Sassafras-Ferny Creek brigade captain John Schauble was deployed to the Brookland Greens Estate in Cranbourne at the weekend in his role as a CFA Community Safety facilitator. CFA conducted a series of street corner meetings to provide advice to residents affected by a major methane gas incident arising from a disused refuse tip adjacent to the estate. |
| Thu 11th Sep | Junior brigade celebrates The Junior Brigade marked its 37th anniversary today with a demonstration of skills learned by up-and-coming firefighters. The annual birthday bash, complete with cake and supper, is a highlight of the brigade calendar. Josh Wallis was named as Firefighter of the Year, with Brodie Leticq, Gage Foik and Rhianne Cottam-Starky also taking out awards. |
| Fri 4th Jul | Parliamentary Inquiry into Bushfires and Public Land The Environment and Natural Resources Committee of the Victorian Parliament has released its report into the Impact of Public Land Management Practices on Bushfires in Victoria. Both the Sassafras-Ferny Creek Fire Brigade and the Ferny Creek Bushfire Alert Siren Committee Inc were invited to make submissions to the inquiry. The final report of the committee, along with transcripts of evidence and other associated material are available online. |
| Tue 10th Jun | New burning off law The Shire of Yarra Ranges has introduced a new local law in relation to open air burning, which comes into effect next month. More... ( 41KB) |
| Sun 1st Jun | Brigade stalwarts honoured The significant contributions to the local community of a number of brigade members were recognised recently. More... ( 34KB) |
| Sun 18th May | Clean that chimney! Every year the brigade is called out to a number of preventable chimney fires. More... ( 39KB) |
| Tue 8th Apr | Fuel reduction burns in Sassafras and Ferny Creek The DSE and Parks Victoria plans to conduct fuel reduction burns in the Dandenong Ranges National Park on the Mountain Highway (5ha) and in the One Tree Hill area (44ha) on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, conditions permitting. Residents should expect significant amounts of smoke, particularly from the One Tree Hill burn. For information on planned burns, contact the Victorian Bushfire Information Line (VBIL) on 1800 240 667. Information is also available at www.dse.vic.gov.au/fires |
| Tue 25th Mar | Change your smoke alarm battery! It's nearly time to change your clock... and check your smoke alarm. More... ( 40KB) |
| Mon 17th Mar | Extreme caution urged as CFA fire restrictions are lifted early Brigade calls on residents to exercise extreme caution when burning off and also consider the interests of their neighbours. Press release ( 35KB) |
| Fri 15th Feb | Brigade bushfire safety booklet wins national award Living with Bushfire, a booklet produced the brigade has won national recognition in the Emergency Management Australia 2007 Safer Communities Awards. Read the press release ( 118KB) or
download the booklet from our Publications page. |
| Mon 28th Jan | House fires a year-round menace While the threat of bushfire is real, "ordinary" house fires can catch us unaware. More... ( 35KB) |
| Sat 5th Jan | Edward Geldard 1961-2007 Remembering a friend and colleague. More... ( 114KB) |
2007
| Mon 24th Dec | Santa Spotted in Sassafras & Ferny Creek! Exclusive pictures of the big man in red seen in the local area on Christmas Eve. Photo gallery... |
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| Sat 15th Dec | Carols on the Mountain 2007 More than 500 people tonight joined Australian opera great Suzanne Johnston, the Sing Australia choir, the National Youth Chorale, the Sweet Sassafras gospel group, choirs from Sassafras and Ferny Creek primary schools, combined Upwey and Monbulk high school bands and the Hart School of Dance for another spectacular Carols on the Mountain at the Ferny Creek Recreation Reserve. Photo gallery... |
| Thu 13th Dec | Community attitudes to bushfire A CFA survey conducted in high bushfire risk areas in metropolitan Melbourne indicates that many residents are not well prepared for fire. The survey of over 1000 households shows many people have failed to plan adequately for dealing with bushfire. Read the results... (
116KB) |
| Thu 13th Dec | Deployment to South Australia Sassafras-Ferny Creek volunteer Geoff Pfeifer this weekend joins a 200-strong Victorian joint agency deployment to the Kangaroo Island fires in South Australia. Geoff will work in a logistics role as part of an incident management team. |
| Wed 12th Dec | Parliamentary Inquiry Submission Both the brigade and the Ferny Creek Bushfire Alert Siren Committee Inc were recently invited to make submissions to a parliamentary inquiry into the Impact of Public Land Management Practices on Bushfires in Victoria. Transcripts are available online: Brigade submission (
39KB)Siren Committee submission ( 35KB) |
| Sun 25th Nov | New truck for Sassafras-Ferny Creek Monbulk MLA Hon. James Merlino has officially presented the keys to a new 3000 litre, four-wheel drive tanker to the brigade. Read the press release... (
59KB) |
| Mon 12th Nov | Summer 2007/08 CFA Fire Restrictions are now in force throughout the Shire of Yarra Ranges. |
| Tue 25th Sep | Local bushfire safety booklet wins award A bushfire safety booklet produced by a local CFA brigade has been recognised in the 2007 Emergency Management Australia Safer Communities Awards. Read the press release ( 53KB) or download the booklet from our Publications
page. |