Lightning Fires in East Gippsland - 1997
The Calajero fires north of Briagalong in East Gippsland in 1997 were caused by lightning.
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 Clearing a rakehoe track. A rake specially developed for dry fire fighting is used to clear a bare mineral earth track ahead of the fire. The track is built as a control line to prevent the spread of the fire beyond the area of bare earth. |  |  DSE firefighters land at a helipad. Rapellers & Hover Exit crew undertake specialised training before being deployed for remote firefighting. |
 Clearing a mineral earth track ahead of the fire front is referred to as dry firefighting, as no water is used. | |  Crews check their firefighting gear as they wait for any spot-overs caused by embers being blown ahead of the main fire. |
 Emergency Coordination Centre monitors the many fires in East Gippsland that have started from the high level of lightning activity. | |  Firefighters working in steep, rugged terrain. Tracks need to be cleared ahead of the advancing fire. |
 Taking a much needed break from firefighting. | |  Firefighters tread carefully in steep, rugged terrain and may be required to walk up to three hours before stating work on the fireline. |
 Firefighting can be very dehydrating. Firefighters are required to drink 1.5 litres of water an hour to prevent heat stress and dehydration. | |  Firefighting in remote parts of Victoria is very demanding. Firefighters never work alone as they need to look out for each other. |