Lived Experience Forum

[Fizz]

A man who lost his home in a bushfire sparked by a Defence helicopter last summer says it's "ridiculous" that the aircraft did not relay the location of the fire to authorities for 45 minutes.

Key points:

• An Army chopper accidentally started the fire, but its crew did not tell authorities the location for 45 minutes
• The fire burnt 80 per cent of Namadgi National Park, and destroyed several homes across the border in NSW
• Stephen Littlehales lost his home and says he was outraged to learn authorities did not get a head start in fighting the fire

The fire was sparked by the Army helicopter's tail light at about 1:30pm on January 27, as it set down in the Orroral Valley in the ACT's south so its crew could have a break.

The ignition was noticed seconds after landing and the helicopter took off again, with the downdraught from its propellers fanning the flames.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-01/orroral-valley-namadgi-defence-helicopter-bushfire/12937268?f...

[Burnt]

I have one question: why?? Why didn’t they bother to alert. Some mothers do have them!