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Australia has a new hero. His name is Elvis. He is a big boy and he has people cheering when he arrives.
He is the first news item every night.
Thank you ELVIS, we love you, baby!!!
HOW ELVIS SAVED 14 LIVES
By STAVRO SOFIOS and LORNA KNOWLES
04jan02
THE lives of 14 volunteer firefighters trapped yesterday in a raging inferno in the Blue Mountains were saved by the water bombing helitanker "Elvis".
Walls of flames surrounded the three crews from Lawson and Hazelbrook bushfire brigades as bush ignited all around them on the Ingar Fire Trail, near Wentworth Falls, for 45 minutes before they radioed for aerial support.
Within five minutes of receiving the distress call, Elvis swooped, dousing the flames and clearing a path for their escape.
"The flames were crowning the treetops, it was a fireball, we were surrounded," Hazelbrook crew member Chris Tierney, 20, said.
"Elvis saved us, absolutely. You could feel the heat on the window as we were driving out," fellow crewman Darrell Pascoe, 31, said.
"We love Elvis," said 29-year-old Michael Laverton.
It was a sentiment shared by members of the Lawson brigade, who scrawled "We Love Elvis" on their helmets late yesterday.
The fire crews were mopping up on the trail, about 15km from Wentworth Falls, when the fire turned on them.
With flames burning to the north and west of the trail, they reversed their trucks into a burnt-out area, chopping down trees with chainsaws and hosing down the vehicles and surrounding areas.
As the flames advanced within metres of the trucks, Elvis arrived to save the day.
Indicators, sirens and wheel rims on the three trucks melted in the intense heat.
"Today was the scariest time of my career", said Mr Laverton, a firefighter of 10 years.
"I've never got the emergency blankets out before, " said Mick Barr, 30.
"The wind was swirling the flames. We couldn't drive out. So we went into emergency procedures. We got the chainsaw out and cut down some trees before we decided it would be safer to call in aerial support. We got onto aerial operations and said there was a situation. We desperately needed it".
Mr Tierney said: "We were next to the truck ready to get in when Elvis turned up. He saved us".
When the men got back to Lawson, they were checked for injuries.
Incredibly, after just a half an hour break, they went back out to fight the fire which almost killed them, attending property protection duties in Herron Place, Hazelbrook.
"We had a half an hour break, had a bit of a laugh and a breather and went back," Mr Laverton said.
Mr Pascoe said: "We're back fighting the same fire. We wanted a second go at it.
"It's beaten us once, it's not going to beat us again".
Lee Cox, wife of Lawson brigade firefighter Brett Cox, said her husband telephoned her just after midday to tell about the ordeal.
"He said that his butt nearly got burnt. He said 'We nearly got our arses fried'.
"He said 'The big Elvis chopper saved us. It came in at the right moment'.".
Jan Meikle, the wife of Lawson firefighter Bill Meikle said Elvis saved her husband.
"He said the chopper had saved him," Mrs Meikle said.
Erickson Air Crane firefighting manager Lenny Allmaras said: "This is one of the advantages of a helitanker when you have this much muscle.
"You don't want firefighters to plan onthat back-up but they have the ability to call it in when they need to".
Lawson brigade captain Glen Benson said the men called in the air drop as a safety measure.
"When they returned to the station they were checked for stress, re-tasked and left to protect property at Woodford".
The State Government yesterday announced it would bring in two more Erickson Air-Crane Helitankers within three to five days to help battle the blazes across the state.
Emergency Services Minister Bob Debus said the helitankers would be brought in crates from the United States in a large aircraft called an Antonov.
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To all the Brilliant fire fighters, volunteers, and the amazing Elvis, Thank you...
He is the first news item every night.
Thank you ELVIS, we love you, baby!!!
HOW ELVIS SAVED 14 LIVES
By STAVRO SOFIOS and LORNA KNOWLES
04jan02
THE lives of 14 volunteer firefighters trapped yesterday in a raging inferno in the Blue Mountains were saved by the water bombing helitanker "Elvis".
Walls of flames surrounded the three crews from Lawson and Hazelbrook bushfire brigades as bush ignited all around them on the Ingar Fire Trail, near Wentworth Falls, for 45 minutes before they radioed for aerial support.
Within five minutes of receiving the distress call, Elvis swooped, dousing the flames and clearing a path for their escape.
"The flames were crowning the treetops, it was a fireball, we were surrounded," Hazelbrook crew member Chris Tierney, 20, said.
"Elvis saved us, absolutely. You could feel the heat on the window as we were driving out," fellow crewman Darrell Pascoe, 31, said.
"We love Elvis," said 29-year-old Michael Laverton.
It was a sentiment shared by members of the Lawson brigade, who scrawled "We Love Elvis" on their helmets late yesterday.
The fire crews were mopping up on the trail, about 15km from Wentworth Falls, when the fire turned on them.
With flames burning to the north and west of the trail, they reversed their trucks into a burnt-out area, chopping down trees with chainsaws and hosing down the vehicles and surrounding areas.
As the flames advanced within metres of the trucks, Elvis arrived to save the day.
Indicators, sirens and wheel rims on the three trucks melted in the intense heat.
"Today was the scariest time of my career", said Mr Laverton, a firefighter of 10 years.
"I've never got the emergency blankets out before, " said Mick Barr, 30.
"The wind was swirling the flames. We couldn't drive out. So we went into emergency procedures. We got the chainsaw out and cut down some trees before we decided it would be safer to call in aerial support. We got onto aerial operations and said there was a situation. We desperately needed it".
Mr Tierney said: "We were next to the truck ready to get in when Elvis turned up. He saved us".
When the men got back to Lawson, they were checked for injuries.
Incredibly, after just a half an hour break, they went back out to fight the fire which almost killed them, attending property protection duties in Herron Place, Hazelbrook.
"We had a half an hour break, had a bit of a laugh and a breather and went back," Mr Laverton said.
Mr Pascoe said: "We're back fighting the same fire. We wanted a second go at it.
"It's beaten us once, it's not going to beat us again".
Lee Cox, wife of Lawson brigade firefighter Brett Cox, said her husband telephoned her just after midday to tell about the ordeal.
"He said that his butt nearly got burnt. He said 'We nearly got our arses fried'.
"He said 'The big Elvis chopper saved us. It came in at the right moment'.".
Jan Meikle, the wife of Lawson firefighter Bill Meikle said Elvis saved her husband.
"He said the chopper had saved him," Mrs Meikle said.
Erickson Air Crane firefighting manager Lenny Allmaras said: "This is one of the advantages of a helitanker when you have this much muscle.
"You don't want firefighters to plan onthat back-up but they have the ability to call it in when they need to".
Lawson brigade captain Glen Benson said the men called in the air drop as a safety measure.
"When they returned to the station they were checked for stress, re-tasked and left to protect property at Woodford".
The State Government yesterday announced it would bring in two more Erickson Air-Crane Helitankers within three to five days to help battle the blazes across the state.
Emergency Services Minister Bob Debus said the helitankers would be brought in crates from the United States in a large aircraft called an Antonov.
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To all the Brilliant fire fighters, volunteers, and the amazing Elvis, Thank you...
