BUSHFIRES can destroy homes and fences, but they can also destroy and isolate livestock.
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That's what the NSW Department of Primary Industries' emergency team sought to prepare for, with a day of aviation management and safety training in Orange on Thursday.
The DPI monitors livestock during fire and flood emergencies, finding livestock and supplying them with emergency food and water.
Aircraft are also used to monitor locusts and complete research.
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With a warm summer predicted and high threat of bushfires, 15 Local Land Services staff from across the state participated in the training, which included low flying, navigation and fatigue management.
Their mission was to find three groups of stock and emergency management officer Chris Lane said all crews found their marks.
"They all worked safely around the aircraft, flew their mission and came home safely," he said.
Mr Lane said training was run every six months and teams needed to retrain every three years.
He said crews had already been active this bushfire season, across the northern NSW fires.
"We were called 90 times last financial year," he said.
"The landholders are pretty thankful we're there on their behalf."
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