Kym Fullerton has been flying helicopters for 14 years; for six of them, he’s been a fire pilot.
Mr Fullerton has been stationed in Shepparton since the start of December and will be here until the end of March, ready to help fires across the region, including Echuca.
“The BOM (Bureau of Meteorology) declares when the fire season begins (and ends), and that’s based on the conditions at the time,” Mr Fullerton said.
Should a bushfire break out in the region, you’ll spot him soaring through the sky in the big red chopper.
Recent weather events have meant that Mr Fullerton hasn’t gone up as much.
“The amount of rain that’s come through over the past several weeks has really put a dampener on the prospects of it being a heavy season,” he said.
“There’s a lot of growth around, so if we do have a run of particularly dry, hot weather and windy conditions, the season could still kick off in the latter stages.”
While lightning has been the leading cause for most of the fires at the start of the season, Mr Fullerton said various factors contributed to fire outbreaks.
“Outside of the lightning, it’s things like machinery causing fires,” he said.
When someone calls 000, emergency operators will then page Mr Fullerton if the Fire Danger Index is within range and the fire is within the region he is responsible for.
“Essentially, I’m a fire truck,” he said.
“We’re all listening to the same radio and being dispatched to the same incident.”
The chopper can collect water from many sources.
“There’s actually a plethora of water sources,” Mr Fullerton said.
“There’s the irrigation channels that the farmers use to irrigate their crops, that’s the number one go-to to pick up water, they’re nice and wide, fairly deep and good quality water.
“Outside of that, it’ll be farmers’ dams that we can pick out of.”
Mr Fullerton said the job’s most rewarding part was minimising fires that would have otherwise caused devastation.
“The way the system is designed is for us to get there quickly and keep small fires small,” he said.
“When you get out there, and you’re able to suppress a fire that would have otherwise taken off and caused a lot of damage and a lot more in the way of assets, time and money, that’s when it’s very satisfying to stop a fire before it gets too big.”
Call 000 if you see a bushfire this season.
The helicopter covers the area bounded by Euroa, Echuca, Barmah, Cobram and Dookie.