FED:Victoria to send firefighters to Israel

AAP General News (Australia)
12-05-2010
FED:Victoria to send firefighters to Israel

MELBOURNE, Dec 5 AAP - Victoria will send five firefighters to Israel to help battle
a bushfire that has already claimed 41 lives.

The fire, the worst in Israel's history, has torn through the Carmel forest in the
north of the country, razing thousands of acres of land.

It has caught the country, which prides itself on its rescue expertise, woefully unprepared.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Sunday the team of aviation experts would be deployed
within 24 hours to help control and direct fire-fighting aircraft.

It followed a formal request from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to help
battle the forest fire, which began on Thursday near the city of Haifa.

The aircraft officers from Victoria's fire agencies are due to leave Melbourne for
Israel on Monday morning.

They will be led by Department of Sustainability and Environment chief officer Ewan
Waller, who was one of those at the helm during Black Saturday.

Mr Waller, who travelled to Israel in 2007 to compare forest fire management operations,
will coordinate the deployment.

"The call for assistance from Australia was for people with very specific skills in
managing fire-bombing aircraft in a forest fire environment," Mr Waller said.

"They will be managing fire bombing operations, aerial intelligence gathering and tactical
deployment of aircraft in the fire fight."

Australia is also making moves to provide chemical fire retardants if Israel requests
for them, and will leave the door open to possibly providing more resources.

Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley said he was confident that the deployment
would not interfere with the Victoria's own preparations for the bushfire season.

"Consideration of this request included ensuring that the deployment would not compromise
Victoria's preparations for the season," he said.

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KEYWORD: ISRAEL FIRE AUST UPDATE

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