Former prime minister Tony Abbott was among firefighters when a hazard reduction burn escaped containment and threatened nearby homes in Sydney’s south.
News24 host Peta Credlin revealed on Monday night the former prime minister had called her on Sunday about his close call with the bushfire.
“He told me he had a bit of a skirmish with his fire brigade on the weekend. Well, it was a bit more than that,” Credlin said.
“It was a planned hazard reduction burn, but it escaped containment lines, he said, threatening several homes and wiped out a firetruck, badly damaged another.”
Paramedics assessed up to 19 people at the scene.
“They got out okay, no one was harmed,” Credlin said.
“But one of the firefighters, he told me, was in hospital overnight with smoke inhalation.”
The former prime minister has routinely worked with firefighters and has volunteered with the New South Wales Rural Fire Service for more than 20 years.
Mr Abbott participated in backburning operations near Bilpin during the 2013 Blue Mountains fires while serving as prime minister.
On Monday night, Credlin expressed her gratitude to volunteer firefighters across Australia for their service in battling deadly bushfires, often risking their lives in the process.
“We are indebted to you,” she said.
“In Victoria, again, you should not be paying a levy if you have to fight the fires and give up protecting your own place. You don’t pay a levy on top of that.
“That’s why you need a change of government in Victoria, but we’ll leave that for another day.”
Read related topics:Sydney News