General News
20 March, 2026
Fired up to win in junior championships
IT’S a big weekend for the Warracknabeal fire brigade junior running team as they head off to Stawell to compete as part of the CFA/VFBV State Firefighter Championships.
The 53rd State Urban Junior Championship on March 21 and 22 will be the first time since 2006 that CFA’s largest annual event will be held at Stawell’s North Park Recreation Reserve, bringing competitors, families and spectators from across Victoria to Western Victoria.
73 teams from 21 brigades will battle it out, and Warracknabeal has one Under-14 team and two Under-17 teams, who will compete in various events throughout the weekend, including the hydrant race, one-man marshall, striking one disc twice and more.
They have been training hard and competing in various competitions at Warrnambool, Horsham and Hamilton in preparation.
The juniors won the Under-14 and Under-17 aggregate and the overall aggregate at Horsham for the last District 17 demo recently.
The juniors also took out the Under-17 aggregate at a twilight demo at Hamilton last weekend.
The State Championships have been held annually since 1874, when the first event was held in Melbourne – the only cancellations have been due to World War I, World War II and COVID-19.
The competitions started out as ‘demonstrations’ with the introduction of hose reels into the fire service in the mid-1800s – this was to assist in getting hose and other necessary equipment to the scene of a fire faster.
Brigades soon found that competing with other brigades improved their firefighting training and efficiency.
In the 1950s, the Rural State Championships were developed to reflect the unique skills of rural brigades.
The State Championship became the peak of the season's competitions conducted by districts and associations across the state, showing the endurance and reliability of the brigades.
They also became a means of promoting leadership in members and volunteerism locally.
State Championships are more than just a competition, they bring together communities, families and friends from all over Victoria.
On the track, the competition is fierce, but the spirit of CFA is stronger than ever when teams come together after an event.
Warracknabeal fire brigade member, Tennille Jonasson said the anticipation was growing for the competitors.
“They're all looking forward to it, I guess they're excited and nervous, because (for) a couple (it’s) their first time at the state championships,” she said.
“We want the town to know, and maybe some of the community can come down and support them.”
With free entry, the championships start at 9am on Saturday and Sunday with trade displays, firefighting equipment, demonstrations, corporate merchandise and food and beverage vans also on site.
The Senior Urban and Rural and Rural Junior competition will close out the Championships the following weekend on March 28-29.