Vic: Rural firefighting resources hit severely by fuel crisis

AAP General News (Australia)
01-11-2000
Vic: Rural firefighting resources hit severely by fuel crisis

MELBOURNE, Jan 11 AAP - Rural firefighting resources across Victoria had been severely
restricted by the latest aviation fuel contamination scare, a state government department
said today.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment aircraft operations officer Bryan Rees
said 4 out of 10 fixed wing water bombing aircraft had been grounded.

"So, nearly 50 per cent of our fixed wing bombing fleet is out of action," Mr Rees said.

But Mr Rees said a more critical asset, the department's infrared scanning aircraft
used for …