THE COCKNEY lad who now calls Nambucca home is – at the short notice demanded by perilous circumstance – off to fight the wildfire inferno engulfing the United States.
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NSW Rural Fire Service Captain Rob Mills is set to fly out of Coffs Harbour tomorrow – bound for a burning America, most probably headed for Idaho, as a Strike Team leader.
Rob – head of the Nambucca Headquarters brigade – was today busily packing and trying to get his head around what will be his first overseas assignment.
“I will be there for six weeks – it’s a big fire, burning in 14 States,” Rob told the Guardian this evening.
The nature of the wild fire – most likely pine in steep country – saw Rob given the opportunity.
“I guess I got the offer because of all of the training that I have done. They wanted rank and qualifications,” Rob said.
“I imagine it might be steep country, which is what we get around here.
“But I have been doing the arduous pack test every week for two-and-a-half years.”
While Rob is unsure how exactly he might be deployed – he has some guesses.
“I could well be in one of the trucks. But not leading a crew as such – more likely in a 4WD running the Strike Team.
“I might be leading five vehicles because anything more than that your brain turns to mush.”
While this will be Rob’s first overseas assignment, he has been to about 10 ‘out-of-area’ fires, including the Blue Mountains and Tamworth.
Two firefighters have perished in the American wild fires.
Nearly 200 Australian and New Zealand firefighters are on their way to the States to help with the fires which have already claimed six lives.
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