A Large Air Tanker has returned to Bundaberg Airport in preparation for the Queensland bushfire season and can readily respond to coastal and inland areas across Queensland.

The Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft is owned by Canadian based Conair Aerial Firefighting and the Queensland Fire Department (QFD) says it has been contracted to them for three months then for three months with their Victorian counterparts.

This brings the QFD contracted aerial fleet to 13 aircraft with a total waterbombing capacity of more than 32,000 liters. Also on standby at Toowoomba Airport are two Bell 214Bs and two AirTractor AT-802s.

QFD has access to approximately 150 additional aircraft, available on-call when needed.
The aircraft fleet is coordinated by QFD’s experienced State Air Desk, ensuring the best combination of aircraft, personnel and resources for major bushfires.

Fire and Disaster Recovery Minister Nikki Boyd said “Queensland’s highly skilled Rural Fire Service Queensland members and volunteers and QFD personnel are well-prepared for the bushfire season. The aerial firefighting response fleet of 13 includes the LAT and delivers an extra layer of support for firefighters and peace-of-mind for Queenslanders. But even with an aerial firefighting capability, there’s no room for complacency when it comes to preparing a Bushfire Survival Plan and being bushfire aware.”

 “The biggest risk this bushfire season is expected to be grass fires, which have the potential to spread quickly in the significant fuel loads built up over the past two years due to rainfall. We are already starting to see fire activity and we are keeping a close eye on conditions and QFD’s aerial firefighting fleet will continue to provide significant support to ground crews as we see fire activity increase over the coming months.” Said Rural Fire Service Queensland Chief Officer Ben Millington.