00:00The helicopter crew was looking for landing sites in case the Defence Force was called
00:08to protect Canberra during the devastating 2020 fires.
00:12Instead, a light on the helicopter started a fire during an unplanned toilet stop.
00:18It has been known for some time the helicopter started the fire.
00:23The crew even took pictures as they took off.
00:26The ACT government refused to hold any sort of inquiry, saying it didn't want a witch
00:31hunt.
00:32But the coroner set one up anyway to look into the 45 minutes it took Defence to tell local
00:39authorities.
00:40Today, Chief Coroner Lorraine Walker found it was not plausible no one on the helicopter
00:47thought to pass the information on.
00:49She described it as an error of judgement and called for Defence to improve its communications
00:55with local authorities during emergencies.
00:58A group of farmers from New South Wales who lost property during the fires was also part
01:04of the inquiry.
01:05They're now pursuing their own cases against the Commonwealth.
01:09Commonwealth.
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