Inquest into the Deaths of Kym Brett CURNOW, Thomas Leslie BUTCHER, Julie KOHRS-LICHTE and Anna Sushchova WINTHER
Deceased
Kym Brett CURNOW, Thomas Leslie BUTCHER, Julie KOHRS-LICHTE and Anna Sushchova WINTHER
Demographics
male
Date of death
2015-11-17
Finding date
2019-11-22
Cause of death
Unascertained (fatal injuries from vehicle crash and/or thermal effects of bushfire fire)
AI-generated summary
Four people died in a catastrophic bushfire near Scaddan, Western Australia in November 2015 while attempting to evacuate. Kym Curnow, a local farmer and volunteer firefighter, was driving his own vehicle, while Tom Butcher, Julia Kohrs-Lichte, and Anna Winther were in a second vehicle attempting to take a horse to safety. Both vehicles left Grigg Road attempting to reach burnt ground as a refuge but struck trees in near-zero visibility caused by intense fire. The fire had started from lightning strikes in remote Crown land on 15 November and was being managed with reasonable strategies (firebreaks, chaining) but broke containment on 17 November during catastrophic weather conditions (90+ km/hr winds, 43°C temperature, 0.8% humidity). Key clinical/organisational lessons: resources were stretched across multiple simultaneous fires; water bombers could not be deployed early enough to assist; communication systems failed in critical moments; a single DFES officer managed the entire region with inadequate support; fire mitigation funding was chronically insufficient; and senior fire management lacked integration between agencies despite good local relationships. Multiple recommendations address permanent resourcing, training, fuel management, communications infrastructure, and aerial support.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Specialties
Error types
Contributing factors
- catastrophic fire weather conditions
- fire broke containment lines due to extreme winds and temperature
- low visibility from smoke preventing drivers from seeing hazards
- drivers attempting to reach burnt ground as refuge
- vehicle collisions with trees on verge of Grigg Road
- inadequate early deployment of water bombers
- stretched resources managing multiple simultaneous fires
- inadequate fire mitigation and fuel reduction on Crown land in preceding years
- limited aerial support and reconnaissance
- communication failures during critical phases
Coroner's recommendations
- Create and fill additional DFES positions in Esperance: District Officer, Area Officer (Rural Competencies), and Bushfire Risk Management Officer, with funding priority from the Minister for Emergency Services
- DFES plan and fund a Career Fire and Rescue Service Station to service Esperance–Ravensthorpe all year round to support volunteer Bush Fire Brigades
- DFES adopt policy requiring: verbal Section 13 authorisations be made in writing as soon as practicable; written copy be provided to local government or DPaW; fact of authorisation be communicated to Incident Control Van and fireground personnel
- State Government give higher drafting priority to Consolidated Emergency Services Act
- DFES fund two additional light tanker appliances and one heavy duty appliance for Esperance volunteer Bushfire Brigades on permanent basis
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions allocate funding to Esperance District Regional Office for earth moving equipment and 1.0 FTE operator position on permanent basis for fire mitigation and suppression
- South-East Fire Working Group's long-term fire mitigation strategy be fully supported and funded by DFES and State Government for minimum 10 years
- Review Memorandum of Understanding between DPaW and Shire to streamline procedure balancing environmental/cultural protections with expeditious farmer-led mitigation works
- WA Government assess established airstrips in north-western quadrant of Esperance Shire and fund upgrades to permit water bomber operations
- Minister for Emergency Services and/or Minister for Environment fund Wheatbelt-based aerial fire suppression response (estimated $800,000) for full fire season
- DFES consider updating official bushfire season in Esperance region to reflect climate change impacts on fire season start and duration
- State Government fund installation of at least one new repeater tower in north-western sector of Esperance region to enhance emergency communications
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