In January 2014, a bushfire near Bangor in South Australia’s mid north destroyed a multi-million dollar commercial pine forest, threatening over 40 jobs at the local sawmill. It destroyed a number of assets and animals, and burned for many weeks. The fire was particularly difficult to contain due to the rugged terrain through which it moved. The water bomber that could have contained the fire much sooner was not able to be deployed as it required ground fire-fighting support. Due to the rough terrain, this support was not available. No existing Country Fire Service vehicles were capable of getting to the fire front. Locals complained that there was a lack of quick action that could have prevented the disaster.

While this fire was devastating for those involved and affected, no lives were lost. In comparison with the devastation and hundreds of lives lost in many bushfires, like the Ash Wednesday and Black Saturday Bushfires, it was still a significant event, but only one of many that troubles Australia.

The report of the Royal Commission into the 2009 Victorian Bushfires made over 60 recommendations. What is striking, however, is that none of the recommendations addressed the actual ground level fire-fighting procedure itself, or the technology available to support it. Volunteer fire-fighters do an excellent job, and DCM Design believes they should be supplied with the best technology available.

The Climate Council report “Angry Summer 2013/2014” paints a picture of more frequent extreme weather events due to global warming. Bushfires such as the one at Bangor are likely to become more frequent and more severe.

In 2009, the Productivity Commission estimated that Australia averaged over 50,000 bushfires per year for the decade to 2005/6.

Existing fire-fighting vehicles for bushfire response have some well-known shortcomings which the vehicle aims to overcome.

• Existing trucks have limited ability to move over rough terrain. In the Bangor fire referred to earlier, this may have prevented the fire being extinguished before the damage became severe.
• Fire trucks require a large turning circle, that is they are restricted in the areas they can enter.
• Fire trucks must remain at a safe distance from the fire, with crews running hoses to the fire front. Fire has the potential to burn tyres, preventing trucks from getting too close.
• Even the latest bushfire trucks provide only limited protection from burnover events.

DCM Design believes these problems can be overcome with a tracked fire-fighting vehicle. The MURAF is a significant step forward in capability and will change the methodology for fighting bushfires.