Ski lodge owners have been put through their paces with a simulated fire evacuation at Falls Creek.
Fighting fires in the snow adds extra complexities
About a dozen lodge owners took part in the mock evacuation, aimed at boosting fire preparedness and response in the snow.
A CFA-led simulated stove top fire demonstrated the risks of fire in an alpine environment, how to safely combat a range of kitchen fires, while also teaching lodge owners safe evacuation techniques.
"There's a real complexity to firefighting in an alpine setting. It depends on a range of factors from snow conditions, the amount of snow, and even how fresh the snow is," CFA Falls Creek commander James Wong said.
"It's therefore crucial that lodge owners played their part in the event of an emergency.
"Falls Creek has a ski out approach to the village. What that means for us from a response point of view is that we can only get one fire truck into the village.
"So what we are really after are lodge owners, managers and staff, to take the lead in evacuation and safely get their building occupants out."
Lodge owner Martin Dean said the demonstration taught valuable skills.
"CFA does a marvellous job up here on the mountain and tonight's been really important for the community.
"It's really important for all of us to be very conscious of making sure that our guests are safe at all time.
"We need to make sure we know where our switches are to turn everything off, particularly in the event of a kitchen fire, but I think calmness is the main thing, and to be very aware of the environment."
CFA stove top simulator exposed the dangers of kitchen fires
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CFA Falls Creek respond to a range of incidents
