Reports of Fire Fighting Water Supplies Problems in suburban Brisbane

[Bob Anderson IIA]

Paddington fire prompts union call for large water tankers to fight blazes in suburban Brisbane

By Andree Withey

Posted about 3 hours ago

Large water tankers could be a solution for crews battling fires in built-up areas in Brisbane with restricted flow and poor pressure, the United Firefighters Union (UFU) says.

Queensland Urban Utilities (QUU) announced a review into mains water supply after poor pressure hampered firefighters battling a blaze that gutted two homes at Paddington in inner-city Brisbane on Sunday morning.

UFU state secretary John Oliver said it was a problem in many areas where homes were close to each other and there were old pipes.

"In a perfect world you'd want to see all wonderful, clean, voluminous pipes, but it could come down to just having water tankers responding to those areas in case of a large fire," he said.

"But we don't have them in Brisbane — fire trucks only carry about 1,500 litres, which is enough to last five to seven minutes.

"What's needed is a tanker carrying about 30,000 litres — ideally on either side of the city.

"There's abundant water in household swimming pools, but gaining access to backyards is often a problem."

However, the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service (QFES) said while large water tankers had been useful in rural settings, they were not a solution for combating water pressure issues in suburban areas.

"If water pressure is deemed to be insufficient, fire crews relay water from surrounding sources such as hydrant boosters," the statement said.

QFES said it took six minutes for the first fire crews to respond to the Paddington fire.

"Knowing the area and that the burning home was timber, close to other properties, the officer in charge on the first arriving truck called for more crews whilst en route," the statement said.

"Fire crews are prepared for this and are trained to urgently access supplementary sources of water as needed."

Investigators are yet to determine the cause of the fire at Paddington.