One of Victoria's biggest aviation fleets unveiled

15 December 2023

Fifty-one firefighting aircraft land in Victoria this summer to support firefighters to keep Victorians safe. The fleet was unveiled today at Avalon Airport.

A new addition to Victoria’s base fleet is a second Aircrane, a high-capacity Type 1 helicopter. It has capacity to carry 10,000 litres of water, joining the 2 Large Air Tankers, returning to Victoria.

A Super Puma firebombing helicopter, with capacity of 2,500 litres, is dedicated to the night operations program, able to fight fires into the night.

Victoria also has a surge capacity of up to 100 aircraft that can supplement the Victorian core fleet. It can be called when needed and includes thousands of dedicated emergency services workers from across all agencies.

Victorians can expect increased fire potential in central and western Victoria. The rest of the state is forecast to be at average fire potential level.

Whether it is for fires, storms or floods, the Victorian Government is continuing to do everything it can to keep communities safe.

For more information on how you can prepare for emergencies, download the VicEmergency app or visit the Vic Emergency website (External link)

You can also create a fire plan online. You can customise your plan to your needs and share it with family and friends. Visit the Fire Planner website (External link) to start your plan.