By Eleanor Wilson
Each year on 16 February, the communities of Upper Beaconsfield, Narre Warren and Panton Hill, pause to commemorate the sacrifice of 11 CFA members, six from the Narre Warren Brigade and five from the Panton Hill Brigade, who died protecting the community from the devastating Ash Wednesday bushfires.
But, there is much to be learned about a 12th victim, Keith Busbridge, who was found huddled with the six members of the Narre Warren Fire Brigade.
Memorials honour him as a casual firefighter, but little is known about how Mr Busbridge came to be on the truck that fateful day.
“He was picked up along the way – no one really knows how he came to be on the truck, but we’ve done a bit of work on that over the last few years, to get to know his family,” Narre Warren CFA Captain Travis Carter said.
“Keith Busbridge – we knew his name – but we never knew anything about him and we could never find anything about him,” Narre Warren CFA life member Colin Booth said.
“For years we looked but we just couldn’t find him.
“Then one of the members was on Facebook and he actually found Keith’s wife and daughter and as it turned out, they lived just across the road, really, from our fire station now.
“For 30 years we’d been looking for him and they were across the road.”
It is understood Mr Busbridge, who was known as an committed community man who often involved himself in the local SES, CFA and life saving duties, answered a call for experienced volunteers as fire ravaged the Dandenong Ranges on 16 February.
The CFA understands that Mr Busbridge reported to Akoonah Park in Berwick, and was directed to board the Narre Warren fire truck.
The truck was tracking a fire in Upper Beaconsfield when a fierce wind change pushed the blaze toward the fire truck, engulfing it in flames.
Today, the CFA and Victorian Government recognised Mr Busbridge as a CFA member, with his widow Jan and two children presented a medal of honour to acknowledge his sacrifice.
