Isaac Wiggins had a front row seat to the firefighting efforts during the Scotsburn bushfire earlier this month.
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From his Scotsburn home the six-year-old could see the water bombing helicopters and large air tankers spraying water on the fire, which emergency services managed to halt before it crested the hill and raced in to their valley.
While exciting, it made him nervous and bought back memories of the 2015 Scotsburn blaze that ravaged his family property.
Firefighters saved their home, but “everything got black”.
“The flames were all around and surrounded our house. The firefighters got there in time. We had helicopters coming over and water bombers,” he said.
Mum Tanya said the family had only just finished replacing sheds, fences and gardens when this month’s blaze again threatened their home.
Isaac and his classmates from Buninyong Primary School’s Scotsburn campus visited Ballarat Airport on Wednesday to thank firefighters who stopped the blaze before it consumed any homes, and to have a reassuring look at the firefighting assets in place to protect them.
Organiser and aerial firespotter pilot Daryl Chibnall was keen to get the whole school, including many parents and siblings, to inspect the aircraft, helicopters, fire trucks and DELWP Unimog that can be deployed to local fires.
On a hot day when an emergency siren is heard or an aircraft flies overhead, many of the Scotsburn students are understandably edgy. Some of the school’s families lost homes and property in the 2015 fires, and were under threat again from the most recent bushfire.
RELATED STORY: Buninyong blaze re-opens old Scotsburn wounds
“You’ve got kids doing it tough, having nightmares and getting edgy if they hear a fire truck or aircraft … and on the other side you’ve got kids who want to be a fireman or pilot, so we got together with teachers and parents to make this a learning experience,” Mr Chibnall said.
“We want to demystify what we do and give them confidence moving forward with fire. “
For Flynn, 9, the visit was fun and reassuring. “It’s good because we get to see all the machines they are going to use, which makes me feel really safe,” he said.
Tully, 8, was most impressed by the DELWP Unimog, a new firefighting truck. This year’s fire was not far from his house, and the 2015 blaze was on his property. “I was scared and hot but I mainly remember the black when I came home. They firefighters took all the water to put the fire out.”
For Tom, 11, this month’s fire was very close to home on their neighbour’s property.
“It was really close to us so we evacuated straight away. I feel a lot safer when the helicopters and fire trucks are around.”
Scotsburn principal Shaun O’Loughlin said the airport visit had helped settle the nerves of some pupils.
“The fires over the last three years have been really significant for a lot of our families. This provides a bit of reassurance that there are processes in place, whether it’s aircraft or tankers on the ground, and crews who do an amazing job to look after homes and property and them,” he said.
“It’s helped settle some nerves and create that awareness and reassurance.”
The school was evacuated during this month’s fire.
“We feel like the kids are handling it really well, and part if this is about educating them and reassuring them they are not left alone if fire takes place, and how lucky we are to have all this on our doorstep to be put in to action.”
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