January 19, 2014
A Kingaroy fireman was taken to hospital for treatment after collapsing while attending a grass fire in Clark and Swendson Road at Kingaroy yesterday afternoon.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said the firefighter collapsed through apparent heat exhaustion.
The man, from Kingaroy Fire Brigade, has since been released from hospital and is back on duty.
The ambulance was called to the scene at 2:07pm shortly after fire units were called at 1:43pm.
Property owner Allan Swendson sought assistance after a small grass fire began which was too big for him to control in the weather conditions.
Allan’s wife Helen told southburnett.com.au today the firefighters were very professional and had done a good job, getting the fire under control shortly after they arrived.
She said the couple’s house was never in danger and no machinery or property were damaged.
However Kingaroy Fire Station Officer Bruce Groer said the fire was more dangerous than it looked as it was racing towards the road with a wind behind it.
Several small spot fires which started ahead of it in short grass on the other side of the road were quickly extinguished.
Three urban firefighting units from Kingaroy and two units from the Stuart River rural brigade attended.
They were backed up by five units from the Rural Strike Team who have been temporarily stationed in Kingaroy from the Sunshine Coast as a back-up to local firefighters during the current period of heightened fire danger.
An Emergency Services spokesman said a total of 10ha was burned.
