ADF taking NSW fire accusation “very seriously”
The Federal Government says it’s taking very seriously reports that a training exercise by the Australian Defence Force was responsible for sparking a massive NSW bushfire.
An investigation by the Rural Fire Service has found explosives training on army land at Marrangaroo on October 16 was responsible for starting the State Mine bushfire.
The Department of Defence says it’s aware of the allegations and is conducting its own investigation, and will cooperate fully with NSW authorities.
The devastating State Mine fire has burnt through more than 46,000 hectares, engulfing an area from Lithgow along the northern edge of the Blue Mountains, threatening homes and lives.
Acting Defence Minister George Brandis says he’s spoken to the Acting Chief of the Defence Force, Air Marshal Mark Binskin, about the matter.
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“The Australian government and the Australian Defence Force take this issue very seriously and continue to fully cooperate with the New South Wales authorities, including the New South Wales Police, who are investigating the fire,” Brandis said in a statement.
He’s extended his thoughts and prayers to the people of NSW affected by the fires, and says the federal government is doing “everything it can” to help NSW authorities bring the blazes under control.
Blue Mountains mayor Mark Greenhill says the fires have done significant damage to his community and has demanded an explanation from the army as to why the explosives exercise went ahead on a dry and windy day.
Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said the ignition of the blaze by a Defence training exercise was clearly unintentional,
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Defence will be provided with a copy of the RFS report into the State Mine blaze on Thursday.
Fitzsimmons says Defence is a “partner” in firefighting on many occasions, and he understands the fire was a side effect.
“It wasn’t deliberate, it was a side effect of a routine activity … and clearly there was not intention to see fire start up and run as a result of that activity,” he told reporters at RFS headquarters on Thursday.
He said defence “worked intimately” with local bushfire committees and authorities on bushfire management across NSW.
Defence on Saturday said it had launched an investigation into whether the State Mine fire was caused by an exercise on army land at Marrangaroo, north of Lithgow.
“They (Defence) have been fully co-operative from the outset,” Fitzsimmons added.
“There was no conspiracy here.”
