A truck containing lithium batteries became an inferno near Woodburn on the early hours of Wednesday, March 18.
David Henry from the Byron Bay Rural Fire Brigade told The Echo, ‘It took seven hours to extinguish and closed the Pacific Motorway for many hours. Almost every brigade in the Far North Coast was involved, including Byron Bay’.
He added the response was limited to those firefighters using compressed air breathing apparatus. ‘Our responding crew were John Brierley (Captain) Axel Ojeda (Deputy Captain) and Lucas Eyre’.
Fire and Rescue Evans Head crew said in a public statement on social media, ‘[It was a] long night after an early morning start – Pump 288 were called to assist RFS to a truck alight on the M1 Motorway, just south of Woodburn’.
‘Fire and rescue 288 assisted RFS 8 in an initial fast-attack, protecting local bushland and highway, owing to the load being lithium batteries. Additional resources were called for, including bulk water tankers.
‘Once all resources were in place, the offensive fire attack could commence, with the highway closed from the south bound direction. We had fire fighting from both sides of the trailer, along with environmental and safety issues addressed, and numerous RFS units from as far as Byron Bay and Dunoon, along with FRNSW Hazmat Coraki 267, and Evans Head 288, who assisted with Richmond Valley Council bulk water tankers.
‘Fire fighting ceased around 7am when the recovery started.
‘Thank you to all who helped police, ambulance, multiple RFS and FRNSW agents’ said Fire and Rescue Evans Head crew.
All photos supplied by Fire and Rescue Evans Head.
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