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Gary "Dutchy" Vredeveldt & Fire CrewPrint Page 
A monument commemorates Gary "Dutchy" Vredeveldt & his crew mates from Geelong West Volunteer Firefighters who lost their lives while protecting Linton from a bushfire in 1998.
On 2 December 1998, a bushfire burned through private land and state forest near the township of Linton, Victoria. Fire fighters from Department of Natural Resources and Country Fire Authority (CFA) were deployed to fight the fire. At approximately 20:45 hrs, two CFA tankers and their crews were trapped and engulfed in fire following an unexpected wind change. The crew of one of those trucks, five men from Geelong, all volunteers from the Geelong West Brigade were killed.
The coronial inquest examining the fire and the deaths was one of the longest-running inquests in the history of the state. This inquest led to changes in safety operating procedures in the CFA.
Location
| Address: | Eastern Beach Road & Yarra Street, Geelong, 3220 |
|---|---|
| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -38.145011 Long: 144.365231 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Disaster |
| Sub-Theme: | Fire |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 02-December-1988 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 02-December-1988 |
Dedication
In Memory Of Our Friend GARY "DUTCHY' VREDEVELDT and His Crewmates
Mathew Armstrong Chris Evans
Stuart Davidson Jason Thomas
Who Gave Their Lives Fighting The Linton Bushfire
2 December 1998
The Robertson family
Paul Robertson Car Sales
