The State Emergency Service used to have a slogan that read “the worst in nature, the best in us”.
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Well, another of our service organisations has shown its mantra isn’t too far different over the past few days.
Central West branches of the Rural Fire Service have been on 24/7 duty since a fire broke out at Wulluman, between Mudgee and Wellington, on Wednesday afternoon.
More than 60 people were at the scene of the blaze that afternoon, while back at the control centre staff were also on full alert.
Cudgegong RFS members were among the crews to lend a hand.
A couple of smaller fires also broke out closer to home.
It takes a pretty special person to drop what they are doing and head into rugged terrain to tackle a blaze, the ferocity of which is unknown.
For that, as a community, we should thank not only the Rural Fire Service but members of every service organisation in our city and region.
From police, ambulance, and fire and rescue right down to the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA), whether they are paid to do it or not, these people go about doing tasks that help our community.
And often they are confronted by scenes most of us couldn’t handle.
Whether it’s a police officer or paramedic at the scene of a fatal crash, or a firefighter tackling an inferno, it takes a special person to put themselves in that position.
Crews, aided by some assistance from the super air tanker nicknamed ‘Thor’, continued to fight over the weekend as the Wulluman fire refused to be controlled until Monday morning.
Without ‘Thor’ it is hard to imagine what the outcome of the fire may have been.
Thankfully nobody was injured and no properties were lost, but the message still remains the same.
Please be aware of the conditions we are currently experiencing, not only here in Mudgee but all around the region.
Fires can start from the smallest of triggers and quickly get out of control.
Heed the warnings of the dedicated crew of staff within the Cudgegong District RFS branch and try to make sure the heatwave we are currently experiencing doesn’t become any more unbearable.
And finally, good luck and THANK YOU to the crews out trying to bring the Wuuluman blaze under control, as well as the countless other fires, big or small, burning in NSW.
