There have been multiple news reports today that some firefighters in Victoria's rural west have stated that 'there's absolutely no way they would attend a fire on a property crossed by the VNI west high voltage transmission line'. They claim that it would be too dangerous because of smoke and the possibility of power lines shorting.
"It is disappointing to see these sort of wild claims" said Australian Firefighters Climate Alliance spokesperson Cam Walker. "As with any tall structure, there are protocols regarding how firefighting occurs around high voltage power lines, and refusing to attend a fire near these lines would potentially put the community at risk."
"No one is suggesting that fire fighters work next to a fire front passing under a high voltage power line. In fact, CFA protocols dictate that crews should not work close to a fire passing under these lines. To suggest otherwise is disingenuous and potentially constitutes misinformation."
"Some anti renewables campaigners who are also firefighters have made similar claims around wind turbines. But again, standard practise is to stand back a safe distance from an elevated fire and to contain any spread of flames from falling debris.
"Any new structure brings a fire risk that must be considered in the approvals process. But compared with many activities in agricultural areas, there is no additional or novel risk attached to a fire around a power line. The first high voltage overhead lines in Victoria were built in the 1950s. We have decades of experience working around this type of infrastructure and to suggest that VNI west lines would constitute a new risk is just fear mongering".
