Tragedy in Werribee: Union Cites Under-resourcing as Child Dies in House Fire
A devastating house fire in Werribee has resulted in the tragic death of a three-year-old boy, with the Victorian firefighters union pointing to critical under-resourcing as a factor that delayed the arrival of emergency crews. The blaze, which erupted in a Newbury Street home just after midnight, also saw the child’s father sustain serious burns, while another child managed to escape by leaping from a window.
The Country Fire Authority (CFA) crews were the first on the scene, but their arrival was reportedly more than nine minutes after the fire was initially reported. Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) crews arrived several minutes after the CFA. This delay is significant when compared to FRV’s target response time of 7.7 minutes for such incidents.
Concerns Over Fire Station Resources
The United Firefighters Union (UFU) has voiced strong concerns, stating that the closest fire station to the affected property is operating with only a single fire truck. This sole vehicle had already been dispatched to another incident at the time of the Werribee blaze.
Peter Marshall, the union secretary, highlighted that firefighters had been advocating for a second vehicle at this particular station for the past decade. He asserted that with adequate resources, crews would have been able to reach the scene well within the designated response time.
“The reality is that that particular house fire is very close to the fire station,” Mr Marshall stated. “We’ve actually seen another fire truck having to come from, I think it was Point Cook, which arrived in about 10 minutes. That’s just too late.”
Leading Firefighter Josh Mitchell, based at the Tarneit station, expressed the profound devastation felt by him and his colleagues. “We should have been first in the door at that house fire; unfortunately, our truck was at Lara fire station covering Lara as a result of Lara having a mechanical issue with their truck,” he explained. “We were meant to be here, and we weren’t. It’s heartbreaking because there are a lot of ‘what ifs?’ I don’t know if us getting there six, seven minutes quicker could have made a difference, but you do ask yourself that question.”
Growing Demands on Fire Services
Mr Mitchell further elaborated on the inadequacy of current resourcing for the Tarneit station, particularly in light of the area’s rapidly expanding population. “You only have to drive north of here to see the amount of new houses here; we’ve got data centres, factories. One truck’s not adequate,” he emphasised. He pointed out that the station is designed to accommodate four trucks but currently operates with only one, suggesting it should have at least two to meet the growing demands.
Government Response and Clarifications
A spokesperson for the Victorian government acknowledged the tragedy and extended their deepest sympathies to the family. They stated that resourcing decisions are typically made at an agency level, while also highlighting a record allocation of $1.12 billion to Fire Rescue Victoria for the 2024–25 financial year.
“Operational decisions like the deployment of resources are made by the relevant fire agencies. Victoria Police are preparing a report for the coroner,” the government spokesperson added.
Initially, a list of incidents released by Fire Rescue Victoria on Monday morning claimed that “crews arrived on scene within three minutes” for the Werribee fire. However, by Monday evening, the fire service issued a correction, acknowledging that the response time had been longer. A spokesperson confirmed that while FRV crews did arrive “promptly,” it was “not within the three minutes initially noted.” The original list, which contained the inaccurate three-minute arrival time, was subsequently recalled.
The FRV spokesperson further clarified that under Victoria’s complementary fire services model, the closest available resource is dispatched first. In this instance, this meant CFA crews were the first to arrive. “FRV resources arrived on scene as soon as they became available. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the child who tragically died.”
The incident has raised critical questions about the adequacy of fire service resourcing in rapidly developing areas and the coordination between different fire agencies. The upcoming coroner’s report is expected to shed further light on the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
