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Junior competitors at Mooroopna State Firefighter Championships last weekend.

Our future firefighters may have opened the 2024 CFA/VFBV State Firefighter Championships, but our Senior Urban and Senior and Junior Rural teams are raring to go for the second weekend.

The buzz around Shepparton remains, as a new batch of participants, supporters and families are set to return to Mooroopna Recreation Reserve across the weekend, 23 and 24 March, to close out the competition.

The first weekend of the Championships was a success, with Melton A taking home the title of Urban Junior Champions. Final results can be found on the VFBV website.

CFA Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook was pleased to see the excitement of the eager youngsters over the weekend and looks forward to seeing the competition continue to reach new heights.

“The Championships are an important and much-loved event on the CFA calendar and go a long way to build and grow the future of the organisation and our next generation of firefighters,” Garry said.

“For our seniors, it’s an opportunity to catch up with olds friends, meet new ones, go head-to-head and both develop and showcase their firefighting skills.

“For us, it’s also a chance to give back to our regional and rural communities that have had a challenging few years impacted by devastating floods and fire.

“The people in these areas are the heart and soul of CFA, and we are proud that we can support a regional community like Mooroopna once again and thank all the competitors, families, officials and support staff who make it happen.”

This weekend will see more than 45 brigades compete, while we welcome a new women’s team from District 9 and District 27 that has been training for months.

The annual Torchlight Procession, a tradition firmly embedded in the Championships, will return on Saturday night, however with a more sustainable and modernised torch.

Long-time Championships stalwart Peter Davis said this year CFA has sourced custom-built LED-powered aluminium lanterns which resemble the traditional torches and mimic the naked flame.

“Torchlight processions have been a customary part of the State Championships since 1873, and up until 2024 the torches had a naked flamed that were fuelled by kerosene,” Peter said.

“However, international research has determined that kerosene can cause significant health issues and adversely impact the environment.

“We are committed to protecting the health and safety of our members and the environment, so we will be providing and loaning the torches to the brigades.”

The Torchlight Procession will take place following the competition on Saturday 23 March from 8pm on the Midland Highway in Mooroopna near Mooroopna Recreation Reserve.