The NSW Coronial Inquiry into the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) escaped Mt Wilson backburn has set down hearing dates from 16 to 25 May 2023. A coronial inquiry uses an inquisitorial process, actively investigating and gathering evidence to ensure a thorough and complete review of the matter and make recommendations for improvement.
The escaped RFS Mt Wilson Backburn on 14 December 2019 started a bushfire that burnt for 53 days before being extinguished. It impacted the settlements of Mt Wilson, Mt Tomah, Berambing, Bilpin, Kurrajong Heights, Bell, Dargan, Mt Victoria, and Blackheath. This fire burnt 63,700 hectares, destroying 70 structures and threatening thousands of homes in the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury Local Government Areas, causing stress and anxiety for tens of thousands of people.
The Coroner has decided to use this escaped backburn fire as a case study on RFS backburning practices in its General Inquiry into the NSW Bushfires.
The Mt Wilson backburn survivor group is represented at this Hearing by Honorable Adam Searle Barrister at Law, a resident of the Blue Mountains and former Member of the Legislative Council of NSW Parliament.
The group made a public submission to the Coroner in May 2022 that can be viewed at www.mtwilsonbackburn.com. This submission uses RFS documentation to detail a chronology of events starting with the lighting of the backburn on 14 December 2019 at 9:58am at corner of Bells Line and Mt Wilson roads and the fire escaping containment lines 5 hours later; to a request from the fire ground the next day Sunday 15 December 2019 at 12:49pm for an upgrade of the warning level to Emergency which was denied; then the impact of this fire two and half hours later on residents and property owners at Berambing then Mt Tomah; to finally at 4:17pm when am Emergency Warning was issued while people were fighting to save their lives and property.
If Residents have experiences they would like to share and or have suggestions on how to improve things so the future bushfires can be better managed contact Mt Wilson Backburn Survivors Group via their website www.mtwilsonbackburn.com You can also stay up to date with the progress on the Inquiry through the website.