Two female firefighters in Western Australia (WA) are being treated in a Perth hospital after being entrapped and burned while fighting a fire in a pine plantation near Albany Friday night (map). According to WA Fire and Emergency Services Authority state duty director Bruce Jones the firefighters were from the Department of Environment and Conservation and the local bushfire brigade. In a statement Mr. Jones said, “Preliminary reports state that the firefighters were caught when strong winds caused the fire to suddenly change direction on a slope”.

Two Royal Flying Doctor Service aircraft transported the women to Perth. One aged 45 suffered burns to 60 per cent of her body and other aged 24 suffered burns to 40 per cent of her body, a Royal Flying Doctor Service spokeswoman said.

The fire, which is now contained, has burned about 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) near the Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve east of Albany.

We will keep the two firefighters in our thoughts and hope for a speedy recovery.