World War 2 bunker fire in Dubbo

Published: 9th March 2008

Firefighters from Dubbo and Delroy responded to a fire in an underground radio bunker on the grounds of the former RAAF Barracks in Dubbo. Fire crews wearing breathing apparatus and using fire hoses entered the bunker to be confronted by extreme heat, zero visibility and a high fuel load of timber and cabling which was ablaze. Firefighters were concerned that squatters or children may have been in the bunker and carried out a thorough search to find the bunker unoccupied. A thermal imaging camera was used to identify pockets of fire to ensure the blaze was extinguished. After ventilating the bunker a gas detector confirmed there was no build up of fire gases.