A slightly burned and badly dehydrated but very grateful possum that fell out of a burning tree put a smile on the faces of Eurobodalla firefighters after they rescued it last week.
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Rural Fire Service firefighters from the across the Eurobodalla took time out from dealing with devastation on the Sir Ivan fire to save the bewildered marsupial.
The volunteers were from Strike Team 21 sent up to assist with fighting fires in the Central West of NSW north of Mudgee near Dunedoo.
Tuross Head RFS brigade member Paul Brown said he and his fellow volunteers were blacking out part of the extensive fire when a tree, whose base was on fire, fell over.
A small ringtail possum was thrown clear of the tree and while suffering burns and badly dehydrated, it was alive and gladly accepted the assistance of firefighters.
“It was drinking out of our hands and while a little bit burned, it was mostly dehydrated,” Mr Brown said. “We got a nice cool towel to put over him.”
The possum was placed in a box and taken back to the RFS staging ground, where the local WIRES wildlife rescue team was alerted and came to collect the rescued possum, which by all accounts is doing well having survived the ordeal.
The possum rescue boosted the morale of the Eurobodalla firefighters, who had been battling the blaze and mopping up for five days.
“After having seen houses destroyed and cattle and sheep killed, it lit up the faces of all of the team and definitely left us feeling a little better,” Mr Brown said.
Strike Team 21 was made up of firefighters from different brigades, including Narooma, Dalmeny, Tuross, Moruya and Batemans Bay, who all gelled and worked well together.
“It was one of the best state emergencies we have attended and it was great to have a mix of brigades on the team,” Mr Brown said.
Dalmeny Kianga RFS brigade member Jeff Iles also attended the Sir Ivan fire as part of Strike Team 21 and sent through some photos of the action.
The strike team was tasked to the Sir Ivan fireground in the area of the townships of Leadville, Cassilis and Coolah in the Warrumbungle ranges, he said.
“The fire started on Saturday, February 11 but broke containment lines on the Sunday during a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating day, pushed along by hot westerly winds,” Mr Iles said.
“The area is mainly grazing and cropping but the fire broke into difficult hilly timbered country later on. The perimeter of the fireground was over 200km long!”