Australia bushfires: Helicopter drops toilet papers in remote roadhouse

A remote roadhouse in Western Australia got cut off for three days from the rest of the region, leaving hundreds stranded there with limited supplies. The Caiguna Roadhouse, supporting more than 120 people, reportedly ran out of toilet papers and a helicopter was flown in to drop the supplies on New Year’s Day. Another plane is scheduled to arrive at three roadhouses of Caiguna, Cocklebiddy and Madura to deliver fresh produce.

Roadhouse manager Maureen O’Halloran told a local radio station the people living there are dependent on the desalination plant as they don’t get rains. O’Halloran said that apart from 120 people registered to stay there, another 22 trucks and 50 other vehicles were parked in front of the roadhouse, putting stress on the supplies.

Read: Australia's Catastrophic Bushfires Heading Directly Towards Mogo Zoo

Casualties due to bushfires

The bushfires have proved fatal for firefighters as some of them lost their lives last month. On December 19, two firefighters, from Horsley Park Brigade, died after their vehicle rolled off the road after hitting a fallen tree. Recently, the NSW Rural Fire Service confirmed the death of a volunteer firefighter near Jingellic. Two other firefighters on the same truck suffered burns and are currently treatment at a hospital. 

It is believed that the truck rolled when it was hit by extreme winds associated with the fire on the Green Valley, Talmalmo Fire, approximately 70km east of Albury. Another vehicle working in the same area was also blown over and the firefighter onboard has been transported to the hospital.

Read: Australia Bushfires: Two Killed, One Feared Dead In New South Wales

In a terrifying video, which was shared by the Fire and Rescue team of New South Wales in which the firefighters were seen driving the truck through bushfires. The crew were present outside South of Nowra when the fire blazed across them and they were forced to take shelter in the truck. The crew members held blankets to the windows as the massive fire threatened to engulf the vehicle. The team later confirmed that the entire crew was safe.

Read: Before And After Pics Show Devastation By Bushfires In Australia

Read: Around 1,00,000 Asked To Evacuate As Bushfires Threaten Melbourne