January 14th, 2026Just briefly…

A group of CFA firefighters is ready to fight fires in remote areas across the state following seven weeks of intensive training to become arduous firefighters.
The pilot program, a first for CFA, includes 15 arduous firefighters with the capability to attack and suppress fires in terrain that can’t be accessed by a fire truck or aircraft. The crew is made up of volunteer firefighters who respond to different types of scenarios, including lightning strikes, bushfires and preventative works such as backburning operations. They can be deployed to a remote area for up to 24 hours, and are trained to walk up to 45 minutes from a vehicle. They also carry 20-kilogram packs that include a range of mechanical tools such as chainsaws, leaf blowers, hose lay packs and small pumps to help them create fire breaks or directly suppress fires by pumping water from a nearby creek or dam.