Launched in October, the program saw 19 mobile bulk water carriers, each with the capacity to hold more than 20,000 litres, strategically placed across Victoria to enable access to most fires within 60 minutes’ drive time.
The program, funded by the Victorian Government, was set up to strengthen firefighting operations during the 2025/26 fire season after a seasonally high fire risk was predicted in August 2025.
CFA Deputy Chief Officer Garry Cook said the program had a been a huge success, saving firefighters time and getting their tankers reloaded with water and back on the fire-ground faster.
“We knew leading into the fire season that there was going to be a shortage of groundwater, particularly through the west and the north,” Mr Cook said.
“But as conditions continued to dry out across the state through the very hot and dry summer, the shortage was right across Victoria.”
To date the bulk water carriers have logged more than 1121 operational hours supporting firefighters on fire-grounds across the state, including at more than 30 incidents.
Some of these incidents include the major fires at Carlisle River, Longwood, Ravenswood and Clarkefield, but also include many smaller fires that were able to be contained quickly due to having a bulk water carrier on scene.
During summer if an incident controller decided they needed water delivered to a fire because they didn’t have access to a farm dam, a creek or some other form of supply, they could request access a bulk water tanker through their district duty officer.
“With a hot and dry autumn expected we will be extending the use of these tankers and will keep them on standby for the next month or so,” Mr Cook said.
“It’s the first time we have had bulk water at our direct disposal without having to pick up the phone and call contractors to see whether they are available to support us.
“Once the season subsides we will review how this has supported on-ground operations and start to look to how we can improve this program into the future.”
The feedback from CFA volunteer firefighters has been positive.
“It’s saving us having to draught from dams and it’s giving us water really fast,” Riddells Creek Fire Brigade firefighter Michael Hemmingway said.
Heskett-Kerrie Fire Brigade firefighter Paul Fletcher agreed.
“The bulk water tanker is brilliant,” he said.
“It’s right in the middle of the action and saves us so much time and gets us back on the fire-ground saving houses.”
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