Western Australia will make investments an additional $13.8 million into its aerial firefighting fleet over the following three years, together with securing a pair of Black Hawk helicopters till 2028-29.
The Black Hawks, based mostly in Gingin and commencing operations on 20 December, are the second of two pairs that can function across the state. They be part of a firefighting fleet of 38, which additionally consists of the Massive Air Tanker (LAT), based mostly in Busselton, and different rotary and fixed-wing plane.
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“WA is the biggest emergency administration jurisdiction within the southern hemisphere, and having such an agile and efficient aerial fleet will present a significant enhance to our firefighting arsenal to maintain the group secure,” mentioned Emergency Companies Minister Paul Papalia.
“Each day in the course of the southern bushfire season, the 38-strong aerial fleet might be on standby to quickly deploy to an emergency.”
The primary two Black Hawks, based mostly in Serpentine, got here on-line on 1 December, and helped comprise a hearth that threatened 500 properties in Geraldton earlier this month, whereas the C130 Hercules LAT additionally started working on 1 December and can stay in WA for not less than 90 days.
Fireplace and Emergency Companies Commissioner Darren Klemm AFSM mentioned the aerial fleet “performs an important position in supporting our devoted crews on the bottom, significantly when fires get away in tough, inaccessible terrain or are burning too intensely for direct assault on the hearth”.
“The C130 Hercules Massive Air Tanker is extremely efficient at constructing containment strains to cease the unfold of fireside and the Black Hawk helicopters’ drop capability and agility have confirmed to be a flexible and environment friendly useful resource for firefighters of their efforts to guard lives and houses,” he mentioned.
“Our devoted profession and volunteer firefighters have already responded to a number of emergency degree and watch and act bushfires this season, not solely in regional areas but in addition near town.”
The fleet, based mostly in Jandakot, Serpentine, Gingin, Bunbury, Busselton, Manjimup and Albany, is deployed throughout WA as bushfire threat profiles change.
“The primary plane had been activated on 1 November and are based mostly in Narrogin, Geraldton and Esperance to guard WA’s grain harvest. Every bushfire season the aerial fleet performs a vital position in suppressing out-of-control fires,” the federal government mentioned.
“Between October 2024 and Might 2025, the fleet flew greater than 2,000 hours and dropped 13.5 million litres of water and retardant throughout 205 bushfires between the Mid West and the Nice Southern.”
