The Yarloop community is reeling again, after thieves broke into their temporary Bushfire Brigade headquarters and stole hundreds of items donated by the public after the January bushfire.
The bushfire killed two Yarloop residents and flattened their hometown, destroying 162 homes there and in Lake Clifton, Hoffman, Uduc and Wagerup, as it burned through 71,000 hectares.
The Yarloop Bushfire Brigade, which fought valiantly during the fire, has been storing the public's donated goods and items in sea containers at its temporary home with the neighbouring brigade in Cookernup, about six kilometres south of Yarloop.
On Wednesday night the shed, firefighting vehicles and sea containers were broken into, with numerous items stolen, mainly donated tools and other building equipment.
"It is really disheartening that somebody would do this for their own gain," Yarloop Bushfire Brigade officer Phil Penny told Radio 6PR on Friday.
Mr Penny, a volunteer, worked day and night fighting the bushfire and has not stopped since in his efforts to help his community rebuild.
"In January our station was burnt down," he said.
"We have all our equipment at Cookernup Fire Station.
"One of the engines in particular they have done a fair bit of damage to ... we have got 10 sea containers we have been using to store donations from people, not only around the state but around Australia, for the people of Yarloop.
"The public in general have been absolutely fantastic – it is just a shame there are a few low-lifes out there.
"Personally it hurts for local people like us who have done such a lot of hard work over the last six months to try to get everybody back on their feet."
Police had been notified and had been to the site to obtain fingerprints.
The Harvey, Cookernup and Yarloop Note-Board Facebook page administrators took to their keyboards to vent their outrage.
"There truly are some seriously despicable lumps of turd that fate saw fit to put life into," they wrote.
"The sort of scum that feels entitled to disrespect our firefighting volunteers who have fought more than hard enough in recent months, but now have the added concern of waking up to find worthless thieves have ransacked and stolen equipment from their fire shed."
"Seriously what did they expect to obtain from the fire shed, clearly they're not strong enough to suit up and volunteer to fight fires.
"Perhaps it was just to be close to the suits that heroes wear and they know they could never fill that role."
Some of the items stolen include a 14L Waeco fridge, a virtually new bright-yellow Firebug torch burner worth about $500, and countless used tools including a large number of hand saws, and a "huge" galvanised toolbox full of tools that would take more than one person to lift.
Police have asked anyone with information on the crime, or who sees such items for sale secondhand, to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online at www.crimestopperswa.com.au.
- WA Today.
