by Andrew Arnold, Brigade Support Officer, Region 22
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Shepparton East is an agricultural area 10 minutes from Shepparton, which has a long history in the orchard industry, populated with large cool stores, packing sheds and a maze of channels. The local orchards produce some 40% of the fruit grown in the Goulburn Valley.
Arriving on scene and confronted with a cool store well ablaze, Shepparton pumper established Hanlon’s Rd control, and called for; make Tankers 5, Pumpers 2 and notify Powercor and the RDO.
Quickly sizing up the situation, FO Peter Bell was confronted with no water on site (in winter the channel system is drained), a large number of various sized LPG cylinders next to the cool store, an ammonia refrigeration system and a long narrow driveway to access the cool store.
Four minutes after arrival the first Word Back was placed; structure fire not yet under control, make Tankers 10 and we require the Ladder Platform from Bendigo.
The complexity of combating a fire in a structure that had been developed over the generations was apparent. A mix of weather board walls with saw dust insulation, styrene panels, compartmentalisation, seven metre iron clad walls and iron roof were proving difficult to attack.
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While the on-scene crews protected the LPG storage area and office building, and cleared potentially dangerous goods, the responding tankers started to arrive.
Go to channels and sectorisation were set up, with the Northern sector commander (local orchardist) DGO Geoff Flemming, Southern sector commander (Shepparton staff) Leading Fire fighter Leigh Allan, and resources allocated.
22:41 Word Back; Structure fire not yet under control, Cool store 40 x 40 meters going well, make Tankers 15.
Water relays were implemented and tankers started to ferry water because no channel or reticulated water supplies were available on location; distance and turnaround time remained an issue. The ability to store firefighting water on scene was becoming a serious factor. To overcome this problem, it was decided to respond the Floating collar tanks from Toolamba and Rushworth, and place a request to the MERC for 2 x 10,000 litre Shire water tankers.
With the RDO in contact with the SDO, additional support was also requested from VicPol (traffic control) Red Cross (catering), Shepparton Rescue (Lighting), and Ambulance Victoria on standby
23:29 Word Back: Structure fire not yet under control.
With help from the owner, it was confirmed some 1300 wooden and plastic fruit bins of pears were in cold storage. The external attack continued, with the objective simple: keep everyone safe and contain the fire within the structure.
23:46 Bendigo platform ladder was on scene and the aerial attack commenced. The ability to attack from above gave the strategic advantage, which could only have otherwise been won with time.
00:45 Word Back: Structure fire under control.
Two hours and 25 minutes had elapsed since the first pager message, and consideration was now being given to releasing appliances.
By 04:00 the majority of appliances had returned to their stations.
Despite sub zero temperatures (-3.1°C) efforts on blacking out continued into the early hours and following day.
The next morning saw a flurry of activity as Building Surveyors and Health Officials inspected the site. Heavy equipment was requested to help in the overhaul phase as crews continued to black out the buckled charred ruins.
Fire Investigation Teams donned BA to establish a cause around midday with the assistance of Police Arson Chemists.
16:23 Word Back: Fire Stop
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