Bruce Coomer and fellow NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Remote Area Firefighting Team members about to board a helicopter at Linden Ridge, in the Blue Mountains National Park, in January 2020. The crew contained an advancing fire outbreak on Linden Ridge that was threatening Winmalee and Hawkesbury Heights (Bruce Coomer).
By Julie Nance
Fighting bushfires in rugged, mountainous terrain inaccessible by fire tankers requires considerable skill and endurance. Winmalee’s Bruce Coomer has spent 20 years battling fires deep in the bush as a volunteer remote area firefighter. He shares his experiences with writer Julie Nance.
Key Points:
It is important to put remote bushfires out before they grow bigger and reach populated areas.
Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteers like Bruce Coomber have a wealth of vital experience in fighting remote fires.
The RFS is always needing more volunteers and remote area firefighting is just one of the many roles available.
Every year for the past two decades Bruce has passed the ‘arduous pack test’, carrying 20kg over 4.83kms in 45 minutes or less. It’s one of several requirements to be part of a Remote Area Firefighting Team (RAFT).
Once you have either walked or been helicoptered into the fireground, you need to be self-reliant, including overnight. That means carrying personal belongings, food, water, thermal cameras and a mixture of hand tools. Divided between the crew of three to six are chainsaws for tree felling operations, spare chains, fuel, oil and the list goes on!
Bruce Coomer, Deputy Captain, Winmalee Rural Fire Brigade. Bruce has been in the NSW Rural Fire Service for 29 years (Julie Nance).
Bruce explains the role of a volunteer remote area firefighter
“I’ve done a lot of remote firefighting work in Australia. I’ve been to Tasmania about 10 times, all over NSW, Victoria, the ACT and overseas as well. There is always work to be done and not enough people to do it.
If you like the bush and the outdoors, it’s a fantastic way to see some amazing places by helicopter or on foot that you wouldn’t ordinarily see. Often these areas are in national parks and you can’t rent a helicopter to go there. The only way you’d ever go there in an aircraft is to put out a fire.
The idea with remote work is to jump on the fire as soon as possible and contain it before it gets bigger.
Where there’s a small fire that has just started, you can winch people in quickly by helicopter. Three or four people can put it out before it becomes something that requires 400 people, dozens of vehicles and house protection. You’ve saved an enormous amount of time, money and resources.
There’s no deployment to flat areas. It’s always mountain goat country you are dropped into. You’re going to attack the fire often at the top of a hill because that’s where lightning has struck. You can’t usually get any trucks there because it’s too steep.
It’s really satisfying to be in a remote location and put out the edge of a smaller fire and stop it dead.
I helped achieve this twice in early 2020 at Linden Ridge and Linden Creek, halfway between Winmalee and Mt Wilson. We were deployed to catch the spot fires or progressing fire. We stopped the fire from impacting Winmalee and Hawkesbury Heights.
Managing risk
I’ve certainly been in situations where we’ve had to stop what we are doing and move to our safe zone. If there is too great a threat, you won’t be deployed in the first place. Inherently as a firefighter there’s an element of risk that you don’t otherwise have sitting on the beach drinking soft drinks. The way to address potential danger is to be well trained and to know what to do at the right time.
Bruce enroute to a fire at Mt Field National Park, west of Hobart, Tasmania, in early January 2019. The remote location required the RAFT to be inserted by helicopter. Winching is more dangerous and is always the last option (Bruce Coomer).
Bruce: Our crew landed in a burnt-out swamp in Mt Field National Park. The red bag contains chainsaws, fuel and hand tools. Starting from burnt ground is always preferred as it is a refuge from active fire. From this point, we walked up the hill to the fire edge, about 1km away (Bruce Coomer).
Firefighting without water
Dry firefighting is all about separating the heat from the fuel in whatever way you can, whether that’s scraping with your hands or using a rakehoe (a long-handled tool). Blowers are quite effective with leaves on the ground in clearing an area. The idea is to make a fire break and either burn from that fire break or have the fire burn up to it. In both instances the fire gets to the point where there’s no fuel left and it stops and goes out.
Bruce:In the Tasmanian highlands in mid-January 2016. It’s a very old and slow growing environment, with some plants taking centuries to grow only a metre or two high. It was a very hot fire, despite the cold conditions. Once the bush started to burn, it was not possible to put it out. We had to try to contain the fire by making a fire break on the unburnt side of the bushes (Bruce Coomer).
Bruce: I was a member of a RAFT helicoptered in and out at Cradle Mountain-Lake St Claire National Park, Tasmania in late January 2016. We worked with Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) and Tasmanian Fire Service to extinguish a fire edge and contain the fire. Steep country and large fallen trees made it slow going (Bruce Coomer).
Dams dropped from the sky
A ‘buoy wall’ is like a portable dam that comes in varying sizes. The aircraft drops it, and the crew on the ground sets it up. Water – from 500 to 1000 litres – is dropped into the buoy wall by an aircraft, or the water can be pumped in from a dam or a creek. You can then use the water with a pump and hose, or the aircraft comes and picks up the water in a bucket and drops it on the fire where you are working.
One of the most satisfying things is making a dam wall with available rocks and stones so the water dropped by the helicopter stays in the hot zone and puts everything out. You’ve also got water left over to use elsewhere.
You guide the aircraft to drop the water by radio, setting up indicators on the ground or using strobing torches.
Bruce:In a national park near Lake Gordon, West of Hobart, in February 2019, extinguishing a fire edge and containing the fire. There was a resident tiger snake nearby, which we repeatedly observed sunning itself in the same location over a number of days (Bruce Coomer).
RAFT training
To be deployed remotely, you not only need to be trained as a basic firefighter – understanding the risks and how to deal with fire using the standard equipment on a truck – you also need to know about fire behaviour. You need your advanced firefighter training completed, after which you are eligible to complete remote area courses.
RAFT training includes dry firefighting techniques, safety around helicopters, winching, communication and on-off boarding procedures.
Recertification to be part of a RAFT is annual, including the standard fitness test. The recertification winch height is kept quite short at five metres to reduce risk. Actual winch operations are always above tree height, typically 20 to 30 metres, but can be up to 75 metres.
NSW RFS RAFT members being re-certified for winch and hover aircraft operations in July 2023. The assessor is watching in the green helmet and is in communication with the helicopter crew person in the white helmet (Bruce Coomer).
Great rewards
Remote area firefighting isn’t for everyone as it does require a level of fitness. You may or may not have support from aircraft so you really have to be able to function on your own. I thoroughly enjoy it.
If remote firefighting isn’t for you, the RFS is a big service so there’s a lot of different areas where you can contribute.
It’s a great way to connect to, and support, your community. You get trained in some fantastic skills. I’ve been trained in first aid, chainsaws, aircraft – none of which I would have achieved otherwise. It’s all provided at no cost.”
Take Action:
Junior RFS membership starts at age 16, with standard membership beginning at age 18. If you are interested in joining the RFS, contact your local brigade via their website, Facebook or by phone.
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
We are Nature, and the more intimately we connect with the living world around us, the more alive we are. Hone your observations and connect more deeply in an inspiring nature journalling workshop led by Anna Barnes from @ArtFoodCultureNature on Saturday 28 February at the Planetary Health Wellness Weekend. Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-wellness-weekend
“When we see with clear eyes, we know that we are surrounded by beauty. Let yourself fall in love with your life by paying attention”. John Muir Laws
How can we engage our hearing to connect more deeply to nature around us? Join us at the Planetary Health Wellness Weekend on 28 February and 1st March to hear from one of the most inspiring and engaging presenters we’ve ever had at the Planetary Health Centre. Author and acoustic ecologist Andrew Skeoch will guide us into hearing the languages of nature. Learn how we can develop our auditory awareness, identify species by ear, recognise behaviours and repertoire, and find empathy with the voices of other beings. Andrew’s presentations are an immersive weaving of evocative recordings, fascinating spectrogram analysis and original ideas. You’ll hear the natural environment around you in a whole new way. Each morning at the Wellness Weekend Andrew will also lead Deep Listening Immersive Field Workshops demonstrating how to increase your sensitive auditory perceptions of the extraordinary natural world around us. Tickets available here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-wellness-weekend
This event has been made possible because of the generous support of Greater Blue Mountains Rotary and the Katoomba and Upper Blue Mountains Bendigo Community Bank.
We are looking forward to this (Em)power(ing) tools presentation being delivered by Robyn Catchlove, Sherlie McMillan, Suzie van Opdorp and Teja Brooks Pribac at our Planetary Health Day on Sat 28 Feb. It`s free but you need to register to attend here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-wellness-weekend
This interactive presentation explores an unexpected but deeply empowering practice: using power tools. With the help of co-presenters and their favourite tools, the session demystifies DIY and shows how accessible practical skills really are. Beyond the satisfaction of building and repairing, working with power tools fosters confidence, patience, and problem-solving skills. It can also be financially empowering, reducing dependence on paid labour, and reinforces the belief that challenges—practical and personal alike—can be worked through with focus, persistence, and curiosity. This session invites participants to reconsider what empowerment can look like, and how hands-on making can translate into resilience in everyday life.
It`s one of many events during our Planetary Health Wellness Weekend at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba on 28 Feb and 1 March and has been organised in collaboration with Rotarians 4 Planetary Health and Greater Blue Mountains Rotary
Medicine and healthcare is changing. Join Dr Madhu Tamilarasan, a Lithgow based GP and sports medicine doctor on Sat 28 Feb at our Planetary Health Day and Wellness Weekend, for a conversation about Lifestyle Medicine. The tagline for her practice is "General practice done differently". The practice is encouraging physical activity in the community because research clearly shows that going from no exercise to just 10 minutes of physical activity per day is where the biggest health benefits come from. Any patient who attends an appointment by "active transport" - such as walking, running, cycling - instead of by motorised transport, receives a small discount on their consultation fee that day. Lifestyle medicine focuses on treating the root causes of disease rather than just managing symptoms. Register here to attend Dr Tamilarasan`s session to learn more about its benefits for individuals, community and globally (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-wellness-weekend
Places are booking out quickly for the inspiring talks and workshops at the Planetary Health Wellness Weekend in Katoomba on Sat 28 Feb and Sun 1 March. View the full program and register to attend here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/planetary-health-wellness-weekend
Each morning, you have the chance to join Andrew Skeoch, renowned wildlife sound recordist and author of `Deep Listening to Nature`, for an immersive workshop and walk to hear the intricate conversations happening in the natural world around us.
There will also be: • nature journalling • mindfulness • creativity • (Em)power(ing) tools • Ikebana • Shared Reading • Tai Chi and Qigong • Chair Yoga • Mental Health First Aid • exercise, sleep and your health • how to share loss and grieving for and with animals • and a celebration of the many faith-based groups in the Blue Mountains focused on healing our land, healing ourselves.
A huge thank you to Greater Blue Mountains Rotary and Katoomba and Upper Blue Mountains Bendigo Community Bank for sponsoring this wonderful weekend.
We’d love you to join the Planetary Health Centre for an inspiring Planetary Health Wellness Weekend on Saturday 28 February and Sunday 1st March in Katoomba! We’ve collaborated with Rotarians 4 Planetary Health (part of Greater Blue Mountains Rotary) and the Blue Mountains Interfaith Group, to create a program focused on the many ways we can improve our physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health in a weekend of community and nature connection, talks, workshops, stalls and delicious food.
The weekend kicks off with our third Planetary Health Day on Saturday and finishes with an Interfaith Gathering on Sunday.
Each morning, you have the chance to join Andrew Skeoch, renowned wildlife sound recordist and author of `Deep Listening to Nature`, for an immersive workshop and walk to hear the intricate conversations happening in the natural world around us.
View the full program and register to attend here (link in profile):
• Deep Listening immersive field workshops • Mental Health First Aid • nature journalling • mindfulness • creativity • (Em)power(ing) tools • Ikebana • Shared Reading • Tai Chi and Qigong • Chair Yoga • exercise, sleep and your health • how to share loss and grieving for and with animals • and a celebration of the many faith-based groups in the Blue Mountains focused on healing our land, healing ourselves.
A huge thank you to Greater Blue Mountains Rotary and Katoomba and Upper Blue Mountains Bendigo Community Bank for sponsoring this wonderful weekend.
We had a thoroughly enjoyable final Skill Share Saturday for the year yesterday with Qigong, Fashion Upcycling, Seed Saving and Bushcare! We shared seeds from local gardens and harvested carrots, as well as Mizuna, Broad Bean, Daikon and Land Cress seeds from the Planetary Health garden. We then packaged up (and shared) our first Upper Mountains Seed Savers packs for our fledgling Seed Bank. In Bushcare it`s very exciting to see whole new areas of the Planetary Health Precinct open up as we remove invasive weeds. It`s been a year of great progress as we`ve restored habitat for wildlife and given local native plants the opportunity to flourish and re-establish on the site.
Join the Planetary Health Centre this Sat 6 Dec for the last Skill Share Saturday of the year: Qigong at 9am, Seed Saving & Gardening Group at 10am, and Bushcare at 1.30pm. One perfect day with great company, great coffee and food, and great steps for living a healthy balanced life, while also contributing to the health of our planet for present and future generations. All ages welcome!
Registration links in profile and below.
Register for Qigong here: https://bit.ly/48wlHjD Register for Seed Saving & Gardening here: https://bit.ly/4prcRe7 Register for Bushcare here: https://bit.ly/4oAFDrz
We have a rare opportunity to learn about the newest and best possible ways to support family and community members struggling with mental health issues, at a free talk and afternoon tea provided by Upper Blue Mountains Sunrise Rotary at the Planetary Health Centre at 2pm this Saturday 29 Nov. Hear from Peter Joseph AM, Chair of the Black Dog Institute, and Professor Helen Christensen AO, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and former Executive Director and Chief Scientist at the Black Dog Institute. They`ll be in conversation with journalist Emma Rossi. Dr Christensen is a pioneer in using the internet to reach young people struggling with depression. Her digital mental health interventions are used by millions globally, delivering evidence-based therapy for depression, anxiety, and suicide prevention. Her research uses data from smartphones and wearables – like movement, screen use, and sleep – to detect early signs of mental health issues. Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4oOnYxz
This Saturday Sherlie McMillan from Rotarians 4 Planetary Health will be running a workshop on How to use a sewing machine from 9am at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba. Learn how to set up a machine, service it, troubleshoot when it`s not sewing correctly, and learn some basic sewing skills.
Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/how-to-use-your-sewing-machine
NB. This class is a prerequisite for our very popular Fashion Upcycling classes held once a month.
We`re thrilled to announce that Professor Helen Christensen, a pioneer in using the internet to reach young people struggling with depression, will be joining the conversation with Peter Joseph AM from the Black Dog Institute and journalist Emma Rossi at the Planetary Health Centre at 2pm this Saturday 29 November. Helen was the Executive Director and Chief Scientist for the Black Dog Institute for 10 years and has now been elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. Her digital mental health interventions are used by millions globally, delivering evidence-based therapy for depression, anxiety, and suicide prevention. Her research uses data from smartphones and wearables – like movement, screen use, and sleep – to detect early signs of mental health issues. This free event is being co-hosted by Upper Blue Mountains Sunrise Rotary and the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative. Afternoon tea will be provided. Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4oOnYxz
Human composting is increasingly being legalised around the world. Read about it in Katoomba Area Local News here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/legalising-human-composting/
If you’d like to see this option available in NSW you can now sign a live petition to the NSW Parliament here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/43QIHbz
Julie Nance is a community storyteller with the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative. In her coverage of the Lower Mountains area, she brings 30 years’ experience in communications, publishing and journalism.
After specialising in health and social issues as a journalist, Julie led creative teams in the government and not-for-profit sectors including the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, YMCA NSW, Cancer Council NSW and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Julie is passionate about empowering people with quality information to help them make informed choices.
Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre will host the Disaster Risk Awareness Expo and Family Day on Saturday, 22 November, offering a fun and informative day focused on building safer, healthier and more resilient communities.
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