By Tania Martin
EMERALD residents could be forgiven for thinking the former Food-Rite Supermarket was on fire on Sunday.
But it was just a simulated exercise for firefighters across the region.
A smoke machine was used to fill the abandoned supermarket for the fire operation.
CFA brigades from Emerald, Menzies Creek, Clematis, Selby, Macclesfield, Bayswater and The Basin all took up the challenge.
The supermarket at 387 Belgrave- Gembrook Road is soon to be demolished to make way for a long-awaited Woolworths store.
Emerald CFA’s Colin Griffin said the supermarket giant had generously offered the region the chance to use the empty building for training.
He said the day was a great chance for volunteers to brush up on their breathing apparatus (BA) skills.
“We don’t get much opportunity for BA search and rescue training drills of this size,” Mr Griffin said.
The building was filled with smoke and dummies were left inside for the firefighters to find and rescue.
Emerald CFA will host another similar training exercise next Sunday for other volunteers across the region.
