Above: Strike Team Alpha from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service assembles after a hard day of work on fires in Tasmania. NSW RFS photo.
Rain a few days ago and milder weather since then has slowed the bushfires in Tasmania, however several more weeks of mopup is needed. Firefighters are strengthening containment lines around fires in the northwest part of the state, including the Mawbanna and Wuthering Heights Road fire.
Rain has hampered aerial operations, but ground crews are extinguishing hot spots.
On February 17 there were over 350 personnel from Tasmania Fire Service, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, and Forestry Tasmania assigned to the fires. They are being supported by over 300 interstate and international personnel, as well as administrative staff from other Tasmanian Government departments.
