King’s suit dampened but spirits blazed at fire demo
Away from a political firestorm, a literal one brewed as King Charles was treated to a live bushfire demonstration.
While the King’s suit might have been dampened by the sprinklers of an RFS fire truck outside the CSIRO bushfire behaviour lab in Canberra, his spirits were anything but as he questioned volunteers about their tactics.
A seven-minute “Pyrotron” demonstration replicated a burning blaze within the confines of a 29-metre-long combustion wind tunnel.
The climate-conscious King was invited to start the experiment as he met with researchers and CSIRO head Doug Hilton, receiving a briefing about how quickly fires could spread.
The eucalyptus smoke was “the smell of science”, Dr Hilton joked with the King.
The experiment is used to better understand bushfire behaviour and effective methods to suppress it, senior research scientist Matt Plucinski said.
The experiment ran as well as it could have for a king, Dr Plucinski said after the royal walk-through had wrapped.
“It was much smoother than even our practice runs,” he said.
“We’re very proud of the research we do, so it’s great there’s interest from such high levels.”
Outside, an ACT Rural Fire Service engine doused itself during a “burn over drill”, demonstrating how firefighters stuck in the truck in the middle of a firestorm would survive the worst of a blistering inferno.
The King was introduced to five volunteer firefighters before they started the drill, during which he was forced to take a slight step back as he was sprayed with a light mist due to the breeze.
“It was very encouraging to see what they can do,” he briefly told reporters as he left the site after the drill.
The King appeared interested in how fires were fought in the southern and northern hemispheres, what Australia was doing and how it could be applied to other countries as seasons become more intense.
“It was great he had such an interest in what we were doing here,” firefighter Andrew Harrold from the Tidbinbilla brigade said.
“I’m very proud we were able to represent the ACT Rural Fire Service … and showcase what we do.”
Volunteer colleague Simon Leigh, who recently returned from fighting blazes in Canada, said it was a good experience in a different climate.
“It’s a different country, different firefighting, different environment,” the 17-year veteran said.
“There can be lessons, they do firefighting a lot differently in Canada.
“We use trucks where … a lot of their firefighting is with aerial appliances.”
It was King Charles’ second visit to a CSIRO Canberra site – he toured the wildlife research division as a young prince in February 1966.
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