FOREST MACHINERY, A TOP FIRE FIGHTER!

Komatsu 895 Firefighters strengthen southern forest protection

Mechanised firefighting capability across southern NSW and eastern Victoria has taken a significant step forward, with five Komatsu forwarders now operating RL21 Firefighting Kits in some of Australia’s most fire-prone forest regions.

Four Komatsu 895 Forwarders and one Komatsu 890 are currently deployed across Orbost, Bega, Bombala, Canberra, Tumut and Albury/Wodonga forest regions. The machines are operated by Rodwell Logging, Retreev Pty Ltd, West Terrain Pty Ltd and Forestry Corporation NSW, forming a growing frontline response network along the NSW/Victorian border.

PURPOSE-BUILT FOR RAPID RESPONSE

The RL21 Firefighting Kit was designed and developed by Peter and Mark Rodwell of Rodwell Logging, supported by funding through the Federal Government’s Disaster Resilience Program.

Built around a 21,000-litre tank, including a 3000-litre emergency safety reserve, the unit features a high-velocity pump, dual water cannons and full in-cab controls, allowing operators to work safely within the protected forwarder cabin.

Engineered specifically for the Komatsu 895 platform, the RL21 mounts securely to the rear chassis and can be fitted or removed in less than two hours. Full crane functionality is retained, ensuring operational flexibility.

“The ability to respond quickly to early-stage fire starts in remote areas significantly reduces the likelihood of major disasters,” said Peter Rodwell.

He points to a recent lightning strike in Bondi State Forest near the Victorian border. Early detection systems triggered a rapid deployment of the Komatsu 895 Firefighter alongside a bulldozer, successfully suppressing what could have escalated into a major fire event.

Rodwell’s longer-term vision is to see contractors within each forest region form cooperative firefighting groups, enabling forwarder owners to rapidly mount firefighting units and respond before fires gain momentum.

Outside the fire season, the versatility of the platform continues to prove valuable. One of Rodwell Logging’s 895 Firefighters operates part time in road line spraying, where its large tank capacity has delivered clear efficiency gains over conventional systems. Otherwise both 895s are working in the company’s Visy harvesting contract.

LESSONS FROM MAJOR FIRE EVENTS

For Victorian contractor Retreev Pty Ltd, the decision to invest in the RL21 followed firsthand experience of the devastating 2020 fires.

Owner Dean Venturoni took delivery of an RL21 unit in October 2024, mounting it to his existing Komatsu 895 with more than 5000 hours on the clock. The machine was soon tested during the major Walwa River Road fires, which burned approximately 130,000 hectares, including 11,000 hectares of pine plantation.

Operating extensively in native forest, the Komatsu 895 Firefighter was used for backburning, black outing and control line establishment, helping save several thousand hectares. Ready access to nearby dams enabled efficient 20- to 30-minute refill cycles, while the machine’s large water capacity proved critical in protecting equipment during fast-moving fire fronts.

Over a three-week period, the unit logged nearly 400 hours of 24/7 operation and played a key role in protecting an additional 2000 hectares of young pine plantation.

“Many people are yet to fully appreciate the Firefighter’s capability, its water volume, delivery rate, terrain mobility and speed in blacked-out areas,” said Venturoni. “Just as important is having an experienced forwarder operator who understands how to use the machine effectively.”

He believes that deploying multiple units within each forest region would significantly reduce fire impacts during severe summer conditions, a view echoed by Peter Rodwell.

 EXPANDING INDUSTRY CAPABILITY

In Orbost, West Terrain Pty Ltd fitted an RL21 to an existing Komatsu 890.3 in late 2024. With only minor modifications required, the machine now stands ready to operate across the Victorian Snowy River National Park region.

Meanwhile, Forestry Corporation NSW strengthened its southern pine plantation protection by acquiring a new Komatsu 895 Firefighter for the Tumut/Tumbarumba region, funded under the NSW Government’s Plantation Fire Protection Package.

Roger Davies, Forestry Corporation NSW Regional Manager (Tumut), described the fire forwarder as a major step forward in both firefighting capacity and operator safety.

“It enhances our ability to reduce fuel loads during hazard reduction operations and suppress fires, lowering wildfire severity across the region,” he said. The unit has already prevented a local fire from escalating into a major plantation event.

Two operators are currently accredited, with plans to expand capability across the industry.

 DISTRIBUTION

Komatsu Forest Pty Ltd has entered into a marketing agreement with Rodwell Logging to distribute the RL21 kit, which has been specifically engineered for the Komatsu 895.1 and 895.2 platforms and requires only minor modification for the new 895.3. Currently they have a rigged Komatsu 895.2 Firefighter and three RL 21 Kits available for delivery.

With units now operating across key forest regions and more kits available for installation, the RL21-equipped Komatsu forwarders represent a practical, contractor-driven solution to improving early fire intervention, strengthening protection for plantations, native forests and regional communities alike.