Tenison Drive residents have donated money to the Yahl CFS Brigade as a thank you for their hard work defending their properties during the recent Crater Lakes fire.

Tenison Drive resident Heather Teakle organised the donation and presented the money to Yahl CFS Captain Mick Geraghty last week.

The residents donated $1140 and Ms Teakle’s friends at the Mount Gambier Golf Club also donated $150.65.

“I did a collection around the residents of Tenison Drive because we were all very grateful for these guys being there,” she said.

“My friends at the Mount Gambier Golf Club also donated $150.65 because they could see how important it was and they’re thankful also to the CFS for their wonderful work.”

The money will go towards an Engel fridge for the Yahl CFS truck so firefighters can access cold water while on the job.

Mr Geraghty said the donation was an outstanding, generous offer from the community which would go a long way.

“To be able to go and buy a fridge so we can have cold water constantly on the truck, it might not sound a lot but it’s actually quite a big thing for us,” he said.

“Especially because everything we do is in the heat, it will certainly go a long way with the members.

“It is a fair bit of relief to sit in the truck and have a cold drink of water, it makes a big difference.”

Mr Geraghty said fundraising for equipment such as an Engel fridge was a big task that would take over 12 months and multiple events.

“So to have someone do that on your behalf and hand it across so we can just go and get something like this, it’s just super cool,” he said.

Ms Teakle said she was very thankful the Yahl CFS was there to save their property.

“They did a tremendous job all day working in all that heat, standing by preventing the fire from coming down,” she said.

“Then we were secure at night knowing they were nearby, that if the fire flared up again, we were going to be safe.”