Former prime minister Tony Abbott was among firefighters when a hazard reduction burn escaped containment and threatened nearby homes in Sydney\u2019s south.<\/p>\n
News24 host Peta Credlin revealed on Monday night the former prime minister had called her on Sunday about his close call with the bushfire.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told me he had a bit of a skirmish with his fire brigade on the weekend. Well, it was a bit more than that,\u201d Credlin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a planned hazard reduction burn, but it escaped containment lines, he said, threatening several homes and wiped out a firetruck, badly damaged another.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paramedics assessed up to 19 people at the scene.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey got out okay, no one was harmed,\u201d Credlin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut one of the firefighters, he told me, was in hospital overnight with smoke inhalation.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Mr Abbott participated in backburning operations near Bilpin during the 2013 Blue Mountains fires while serving as prime minister.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are indebted to you,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 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\u2019t pay a levy on top of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why you need a change of government in Victoria, but we\u2019ll leave that for another day.\u201d<\/p>\n