Page 7 - MFW March 2024

SUMMER FIRE HAZARDS
SUMMER FIRE HAZARDS
SUMMER FIRE HAZARDS
BE PREP
BE PREP ARED
BE PREPARED
ARED
Dale Bradley
Dale Bradley
Dale Bradley

Most people would have heard about the fire that the
Central Otago Model Flyers (Alexandra) had at the
height of summer. Well, here is the full story, from the
person responsible.

The fire:
Happened on Jan 1. Present was myself, my father (also a
model flyer) and my brother. The weather was great, blue
skies, calm. We decided to take a few hours at the club,
and in particular give brother a go at model flying (via a
buddy box) with myself as PIC.

I had my Multiplex FunCub set up for the task. Electric
powered foamy. Model is at least 10 years old, has had
hundreds of flights, and at least a dozen with the same
radio gear as on the last flight.

I had a brief flight to confirm the plane was trimmed well,
then put brother on the buddy box. Had a good flight like As i approached the model, i saw flames coming from the
this. front fuse area, and saw the entire front end had already
burnt away, and the grass it was sitting in was on fire. I
A second battery was put through in the same way, while turned and ran back towards the clubhouse, where the
the first batt was recharged. After a brief pause, (and flying club had some fire extinguishers. I called out to Brother
a different model) we went for a third flight with the who was already on the run over with the nearest
FunCub on the now recharged battery, intending on extinguisher. This was dispensed onto the flames (I've
another buddy box flight. Needless to say, the outcome also had firefighting training), while Dad (ex volunteer
was quite different to what was intended! firefighter) and Brother (currently a volunteer fire
firefighter) collected any further extinguishers from cars,
I was bringing the model around after takeoff onto a water bottles etc which were all discharged onto the fire.
straight and level heading to go back to buddy box, when However, it very quickly became obvious that the fire was
the motor gave out a unusual noise and throttle control spreading faster than we were putting it out, and thus it
was lost. I carried out a 180° turn to bring the model was out of our control.
around to bring it back towards myself and back to ground.
We called 111 to get the pros on it, I ended up talking to the
With no throttle, and a lightweight draggy airframe, glide dispatcher, he asked how big the fire was. I said about
performance isnt' the best, and the model came down 20sqm at the time. Answered a couple of questions to him,
where it wanted. I lost all control moments before the confirmed address etc and then i reported back it's now
model touched down, but at this point it didn't matter. about 40sqm in size, probably doubled in size during that
30 second interval - the flame front was moving at about
It touched down in the long dry grass between the pits walking speed. The typical summer afternoon zephyrs
area and the runway, and flipped over. I wandered over pushed the fire around this way and that, and of course it
briskly, accepting that flying this model was over for the didn't matter were you stood, sooner or later you were
day, needing some investigation and possibly some new completely immersed in smoke. At this point i realised
components. there was nothing further we onsite could do, other than

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