AMERICAN actor Paul Newman's legacy reaches beyond his Hollywood hits, beyond his sauces and dressings - all the way to Victoria's bushfire-ravaged communities.
His sauces all fund the charitable foundation Newman's Own, which has given three bushfire-hit communities a boost with the purchase of firefighting tankers and a fire station upgrade.
Kinglake West and Flowerdale Country Fire Authority brigades were this week presented with two new ultra-light tankers, courtesy of the foundation.
Kinglake West Brigade captain Karyn Norbury said the new vehicle would make a huge difference to firefighting efforts.
"The new ultra light tanker will be able to traverse a much larger part of the local area, including dense scrub and small dirt tracks that can be difficult for larger firefighting appliances to access," Ms Norbury said in a statement.
Flowerdale Brigade captain Glen Woods said he welcomed the donation.
The tankers carry 550 litres of water and are fitted with a diesel-powered pump.
Before the delivery of the new tankers, Flowerdale brigade had one firefighting unit and Kinglake West had two.
The fire brigade in nearby St Andrews received more than $71,000 to upgrade its fire station.
The keys to the tankers were officially handed to the brigades on Tuesday by Sue Home, the Australian administrator of Newman's Own Foundation.
