Orangutan Legacy Forest – Fire Brigade

www.orangutanfoundation.org.au

For the last 50 years, Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) has been protecting wild orangutans in Borneo. Borneo is a biodiversity hot spot with a multitude of endemic species and large areas of rainforest. The forests of Borneo, home to the endemic Bornean orangutan, are threatened with large-scale destruction. The main mechanism for forest destruction in Borneo is fire. Fire comes when the rains stop and drought descends upon the land. We need to recruit and establish a permanent fire brigade of at least eight men and women to help us fight the forest wildfires that threaten to destroy our Orangutan Legacy Forest. The fire brigade will patrol for hot spots and put out small fires as they get started. They will start digging multiple water holes on the periphery of forests and burned areas where future fires are anticipated. They will start establishing fire breaks in critical areas. The fire brigade will also need specialised fire-fighting equipment, protective clothing, and gear. The team will need drones with extended range capabilities and thermographic cameras, vehicles to transport firefighters and equipment to burning areas, and a speedboat designed to traverse the moat system in our managed swamp forests.