More than 120 Canberra firefighters who travelled to Victoria to contain the Hazelwood coalmine fire have begun their journey back to the capital.
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ACT Fire and Rescue deputy chief Conrad Barr said the involvement of ACT Fire and Rescue in firefighting operations ended at 8pm on Tuesday night.
''We sent 17 teams to Victoria, comprised of 122 firefighters and 12 mechanics from the ESA [ACT Emergency Services Agency] fleet management section,'' he said.
''At the peak of our involvement we had eight vehicles in Victoria.''
''One contingent of firefighters returned to Canberra on Wednesday night and the rest will return later in the week once vehicles have been completely detailed and cleaned.''
Mr Barr said Victorian authorities called upon ACT Fire and Rescue because of their specialist equipment and experience, particularly their possession of compressed air and foam vehicles.
''These are very specialised vehicles and they were required to fight the open-cut coalmine fire,'' he said. ''There are only 14 of these vehicles in Australia and we have 10 of them here in the ACT.''
''The compression foam technology was very useful in fighting the coalmine fire as it enabled firefighters to produce foam that either sticks like a heavy blanket, or is a wider and a wetter foam.''
Mr Barr said it was common for ACT Fire and Rescue services to be deployed interstate and for state authorities to assist each other when required.
''The Victorian authorities have given us assistance in previous years, as have firefighters and chiefs from several states,'' he said. ''We believe we can count on assistance from Victorian fire services should we require their support in the future.''
Mr Barr said the deployment to Victoria has been a valuable experience for many ACT firefighters who found it a unique and interesting experience.
''An open-cut coalmine fire is not something that we're going to experience in the ACT,'' he said.
The Hazelwood coalmine fire has now been declared safe by Victorian authorities and management of the site has now been returned to the mine's operator, GDF Suez.
The fire began when a passing bushfire ignited brown coal inside the mine. It burned for 45 days.
