DFES water bomber fleet deployed early for harvest season, first aerial strike team based in Narrogin

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has deployed their water bomber fleet early this year to help stop bushfires during harvest, with Narrogin now home to one of three aerial fire strike squads.

Harvest falls during some of WA’s hottest, driest weather months, and heavy machinery working in paddocks is always at risk of sparking an out-of-control blaze.

During the last harvest season, DFES crews responded to more than 170 fires which were linked to harvesting operations across WA.

The aerial fleet attended 34 incidents and clocked up almost 142 hours, assisting at major fires in West River, Mindarabin, Geraldton and Warradarge.

This year, the department has deployed its grain harvest aerial fleet early, sending strike squads of water bombers out to rural areas where most of the grain harvesting will be done, with the aim of extinguishing crop fires before they get out of hand.

The first strike team was sent out at the end of October, and is now standing by in Narrogin, ready to fly when needed to respond to fires across the Wheatbelt.

The team comprises two fixed-wing water bombers and an air attack supervision aircraft, with the bombers able to reach speeds of up to 350km/h and drop up to 3150L of water, foam or retardant at a time.

Two more teams were sent to Geraldton and Esperance last week to help cover the Midwest and Great Southern farming regions.

DFES Commissioner Darren Klemm said having teams stationed around WA to respond quickly to harvest fires in their region was essential to keeping farmers and their properties safe.

“During the 2025-26 season, DFES responded to some particularly dangerous harvest fires which reached emergency warning level, threatening lives and property,” he said.

“Crop fires are commonly sparked by machinery or lightning and can spread extremely quickly, so it is vital we provide a rapid and effective firefighting response.

“These aircraft can be on the scene of a fire quickly and will be repositioned across key grain-growing regions throughout the harvest period based on the most up-to-date risk assessments.”

Emergency Services Minister Reece Whitby said the WA Government was committed to providing the necessary firefighting resources to protect farming communities during harvest, but also encouraged farming families to be prepared and have an emergency plan in place.

“The Cook Labor Government is committed to protecting farmers during this busy period which is why we are activating aerial assets early to meet a heightened fire risk across the Wheatbelt,” he said.

“The Grain Harvest Aerial Fleet is now in its sixth year and has proved vital in helping to rapidly suppress fires before they can destroy farms, livelihoods, and communities.

“Fire safety during harvest is a shared responsibility and I urge growers to ensure they are well prepared and have an emergency plan in place for their families and employees.”