American reacts to Australian Firefighters driving THROUGH BUSHFIRE

Thanks for watching me, a humble American, react to Australian Firefighters fighting bushfire
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[@sabre1996]

Most of our firefighters in bush fires are volunteers. Much admiration to these brave men and women

[@katier4140]

definitely - I dont know any personally but I still send my love especially as we are going into a bad summer

[@blueyegrl74]

Amen. My neighbour is with the rural firefighters. They do amazing work

[@rowleyparks]

Was about to say they are volunteers not their usual day job. Beat me to it.

[@damiencross8921]

I know a volunteer Fiery that left after he was nearly burned to de**h inside his truck and joined the army instead. He has never really said why. Just mumbled something about safety? Or, safer maybe?

[@sabre1996]

@@damiencross8921 I could only imagine the horror of it all.

[@judithmanderson431]

My daughter in law is in firebrigade. There are 3 fires surrounding ourt town today. It’s only spring. Going to be a bad summer. The firepeople are volunteers. The men and women are hero’s. Lots of women volunteer.

[@shayneramsay1388]

Stay safe for you, your daughter in law and your community

[@infin8ee]

Yep things are looking awful. This unseasonably hot weather is not good. Stay safe 💛

[@datwistyman]

Best wishes to everyone. Stay safe 👍

[@CQuinnLady]

stay safe.

[@jayebuss5562]

Genuine question mate, have we back burned enough?

[@BlessedBe70]

In 1983 Victoria lost 2 trucks and all the firefighters, including one that was from my district, in the Ash Wednesday fires. During these fires a lot of faults were found. My husband who was a firefighter in The Dandenong's during there fires told me that the trucks were not strong enough, there was not enough safety features and equipment on one truck could not be used on another truck because they were incompatiable. After these fires the Victoria CFA redesigned all the truck and gradually replaced them with bigger, stronger and standardised trucks. About 10 years later we again had major fires, but this time in NSW, and firefighter from other states joined in the fight. They other states firefighters could not believe where the Victorian firefighter arrived and instead of waiting at the edge of the road for the fires to come to them the Victorian fire trucks drove into the bush to tackle the fires head on. All credit to the NSW firefighters but they just didn't have the equipment that Victoria did. Their fire bridages were funded by individual councils while the CFA were state funded, with donations from the pubic, and had one centralised body. There were major changes to all state fire bridages after this.

[@janbaker7005]

I was in Torquay and the Great Ocean road was fully involved..it was a very bad 3 days.

[@grandy2875]

I remember those '93 fires. I had just given birth on the 2nd of December and was in an evacuation alert area of the NSW Central Coast. Luckily we didn't have to evacuate but it was the scariest couple of days I'd lived through since moving back home to the coast about a year or so before. 🙃🐨🇦🇺

[@stephaniebell4272]

My husband was at this fire. Tragedy was breathtaking.

[@shezza66]

@@grandy2875I also had gave birth at the end of November 93 and my ex was up the blue mountains fighting the fires

[@Danger_Mouse_00]

I remember ash Wednesday when I was a kid in Melbourne. Late in the day around 5 or 6 pm the sky went dark from the ash coming over the city suburbs. I now live in western Sydney at the base of the Blue Mountains and we have had our fair share of bad fires around the area.

[@bigs1546]

Ryan, most of our Bushfire Brigades are volunteers. These are the guys who also after this catastrophe in Australia volunteered to go to the US and assist with the California fires a few years back. Unfortunately it is shaping up to be another awful bushfire season - already had several out of control in my area and it's nowhere near Summer.

[@CrazyKoala1990]

Yep I'm in Canberra - been telling EVERYONE to get their bushfire plans ready, organise their bags ready to go with important things and figure out where they can go, etc. ALSO, CHECK IN WITH NEIGHBOURS - THEY WILL BE YOUR BIGGEST ASSETS AND BEST FRIENDS THROUGH THIS!

[@bigs1546]

@@CrazyKoala1990 - every year in Queensland we have storm kits for cyclones up North or severe weather further South. Bushfires are far scarier because they move quicker. I know exactly where purse, dog leads, and document files are -clothes can be stuffed in last minute - have working radio, torch, and bottled water. That's my basics.......I don't have a mobile 😄

[@Amputations]

im genuinely terrifed of whats coming... australia is gonna be on fire again STAY SAFE FELLOW AUSSIES

[@gorillaau]

​@@bigs1546Yes. For those with young children, pack one of their favourite toys into a go bag. If worse come to worse, at least this will be something familiar to them and aren't told "we can't go home to get it". Take csre everyone. As a child I was spooked by Ash Wednesday, first time I had seen the sun turn orange with the smoke and the smoke stank!

[@normangale3159]

Yes, these guys are just so dedicated and volunteers to boot. So Ryan, next time you are down at your local, do as we do (except with a Fosters) but raise your Bud to give thanks we have women and men who put their lives i jeopardy

[@pammy0809]

The Black Summer Fires of 2019/2020. So much destruction. Our Firies are amazing men and women. We have the largest volunteer fire organization in the world. The Aussie spirit is strong.

[@naomimoran5564]

Setting up to be another bad year 😞 I hope they all do okay

[@vikingyaffa8346]

only the largest because they keep literally everyone on the books. Its a fake inflated number by the paid management to make them look good.

[@Vortex-7358]

maybe if funding stopped getting pulled every now and then and the greens stopped getting in the way of burn-offs it would not get so bad

[@vikingyaffa8346]

@@Vortex-7358What do the Greens have to do with the RFS Brass claiming they have some 70,000 volunteers ready to fight fires. Nothing, the RFS Don't have any where near 70,000 volunteers at their disposable to fight fires, its a over inflated number to make the organisation look good while they struggle to recruit new members and retain existing ones. As for Funding. the RFS Received 10 of millions of dollars during the 2019/2020 Bushfires and barely any of it has been spent, they could but hundreds of modern safe fire trucks for their volunteers but don't. Never donate to the RFS its a waste of your money, the RFS are a government funded organisation and as such should receive a single cent if donations!

[@MrBibi86]

Sadly, it was mostly forgotten because covid happened a few weeks after the fires were out

[@mary-annegodfrey6766]

Worthy to note that the Rural Fire Service ( each state has a slight lightly different name for them) is the largest volunteer organisation in the world. Proud Mum of a RFS member.

[@Sam72739]

No it’s not, Surf Life Saving Australia is, over 180,000 volunteer members

[@alisonjohnston1665]

@@Sam72739 Nope, it's the largest of it's kind. There were 193,312 volunteer fire brigade members nationally in 2022 .. the largest of it's kind.

[@seanpadgett3053]

And you should be proud. I live in rural Australia and these folks are amazing and a special breed and what most forget is that alot are volunteers.

[@austiwollongongwolf]

Those firefighters were not volunteers , they were paid professionals.

[@loganratley6704]

@@austiwollongongwolf the first video was RFS (volunteer) the second was FRNSW (paid)

[@theghost6412]

Got to remember that the Australian Flora has actually evolved around fire as a part of it regeneration cycle. Many of the native Australian seeds WILL NOT begin to germinate unless they have been burnt by fire. They will lay idle and dormant for years until a Brushfire, Bushfire or Firestorm has gone through the area.

[@lachlansutherland7062]

Yes and no, cool burns are good, but when it gets this intense it kills the seed banks, that’s why most regrowth in areas affected by major bush fires looks extremely messy, and can take time to regrow.

[@davidb1630]

Most of these guys are volunteers, with no pay for their job. Just heroes like so many volunteers for the Fire service and rescue services in the country are. No pay jobs, just fantastic men and women who risk their lives for all people. They truly are the heroes of today.

[@paulbaxter430]

Hi Ryan, basically all of the firefighters in the country are volunteers. The Ash Wednesday fires in 1983 in Victoria were not far from where we lived, and the fire alarm was going off every 15 minutes or so. My wife (long before we met) lived in another town, and her house was used as the communication centre - her Dad was a ham radio operator and had a large antenna on the outside of the house. It's the most frightening and terrifying experience you could ever imagine. Victoria is slightly ahead of California as the most dangerous place in the world for bushfires. Australia has so many eucalyptus trees, and the oil in them burns so hard. The trees explode like bombs and the oxygen being sucked out of the air is the most terrifying sound you could imagine - it's basically a big whooshing sound that doesn't stop. I have so much respect for our volunteer firefighters

[@utha2665]

There are professional fire fighters, but they are mostly in the cities. There are some regional brigades that have senior officers that are paid, but the regional fireys are definitely mostly volunteers.

[@GlobusHystericus1]

My Uncle fought in that fire, Upper Ferntree gully station.

[@ryanreaction]

I'll have to look that up! Thank you for sharing

[@SoMuchFacepalm]

@@ryanreactionIt basically sounds like a combination of rocket and jet engine, even when you're a mile away.

[@doglegfarm4584]

We lost our home and farm in those fires..November 2019. They burned for months and our little town was completely surrounded by fires. 4 years on the landscape has recovered but the trauma is long-lasting. We all have so much respect for the Rural Fire Service 🙏❤️

[@doglegfarm4584]

Here's a link to a vid on our channel showing the before and after of the fires. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKXUpmN4f9Nol6Msi=V41QmMnM-SmLYjtP

[@CateB66]

❤️❤️❤️

[@lynnmoses3563]

So very sorry to hear that....

[@CrazyKoala1990]

I am so sorry 😢 We're you able to get any support after?

[@doglegfarm4584]

@ashp2503 yes we were very fortunate to have help from the Red Cross and a friend of ours started a gofundme campaign which enabled us to buy materials to fit our one end of our workshop shed as a living space. The shed didn't burn because we'd only just had it built and the land around it was cleared so the fire went around it. We also had amazing support from our small community and our online community. We were so blessed 🙏❤️

[@amishgirl1000]

Aussies are really incredible caring people. We all have a strong bond to help out each other.

[@Rabbitwarren_7]

Ryan, our fire trucks have built in sprinklers to help cool the truck during flashovers, like when the gum trees explode which is probably what happened in this video.

[@twoflyinghats]

Ryan, can you imagine the heat transferred into the cabin through the windscreen glass and the door windows ? They ARE the best of the best, and give their all when they are allowed a break from their regular jobs or take it from their businesses. Btw, some of them are great WOMEN firefighters, too, including in all-female teams. Their knowledge and intense experience is why they are asked to go to help manage and fight wildfires in the US, Canada and other countries. Sadly, yes, sometimes they get killed. Their truck can be unexpectedly cornered by the wind changing so the fire surrounds them or it can overturn. We totally respect and praise them for everything they do as our favourite community service volunteers who get lots of cheers in parades.

[@JaneneScullie]

The Australian bush mainly consists of Eucalyptus/Gum trees.. Eucalyptus is a volatile oil which obviously increases the severity and intensity of the fire 🔥

[@And_rew92]

And they explode very quickly, as seen in the above video

[@seanpadgett3053]

As a Scot living in Australia I have to say our Aussie firefighters are amazing, all of them, and to make it even more amazing most of our rural firefighters are volunteers working other jobs. Sadly at least over west they will have a very busy year as it’s drier than hell already.

[@suearnold7279]

Its not unheard of for these volunteers to lose their own house, while saving someone else's home. They are extraordinary men and women. Fire season has started in Australia. We evacuated last week with our dogs and horse until the fire got under control. My husband stayed to operate the dam hose. When we returned, two community liason volunteers came around the properties to see if we were all ok and to tell there would be more smoke the next day as they would be back burning. Queensland has some bed fires atm. Our Hazards Near Us phone apps are invaluable to prepare.

[@schmittydAU]

The "sparks" are actually embers and can travel in excess of 30km from the main fire front. The blanket they were putting up in the window is a special fire blanket that is designed to protect them from the radiant heat which is deadly and can kill in an instant. The temperatures they experience can be in excess of 10,000 celcius.

[@gamortie]

They also have part of the truck’s water supply reserved to be used as a spray guard around the truck when flashover happens - they have a system of piping and nozzles that go around the perimeter of the truck to provide a spray curtain

[@bescotdude9121]

@@gamortie the halo system

[@gamortie]

@@bescotdude9121 that’s it! I’m a VICSES vol, not a firie, so I struggle to remember some things

[@Hick25]

@@gamortienot on the truck in the second video as it was a fire & rescue truck, made for city/town work and i believe QLD rural fire trucks don’t have cab sprays either unless they’ve changed it on the new trucks

[@annekebeekhuizen2354]

My son is a volunteer for the Davidson Fire Brigade. As are all the men and women. His day job is in a office. They also attend a variety of emergencies eg car crashes. One of our previous PM used to be a volunteer. his day job was running the country :)

[@Whatiwantedwastaken]

I didn’t personally like that PM very much, but I respect him for being out there doing his bit irrespective of our different opinions. Not like he was doing it as a photo op either, he’s been a fiery for over 20 years.

[@AnoJanJan]

He is also an active volunteer life saver@@Whatiwantedwastaken

[@inprice123]

Has Tony left? I worked with him a couple of times when I was at Belrose.

[@annekebeekhuizen2354]

I have been told he is still there, thank you for volunteering. @@inprice123

[@annekebeekhuizen2354]

I was told that Tony is still there. Thank you for volunteering.

[@JBLegal09]

These guys and girls are arguably the best in the world and we owe so much to them ❤️

[@CQuinnLady]

It was an horrendous few years, bushfires 2019, floods 2020, covid 2021.

[@JB-zs1oq]

We are so fortunate in Australia to have such a strong community spirit. While we have career firefighters and life guards we also have many volunteers who add great strength to these activities, as well as volunteers who visit people in hospitals, regularly donate blood, raise money for so many community activities, coach sporting teams and the list goes on.

[@alastairsellars2611]

As a volunteer firefighter in South Australia, I have been in similar situations as that in a fire truck driving through active fire on both sides of the truck. I can tell you this, the temperature in the cabin of the truck easily breaches 104F in temp, probably more than 120F in most cases. We use water sprays to protect the tyres from the radiant heat from the flames and use blankets/curtains as a last line of defence in the event of the glass windows breaking on the truck. Most of the firefighters within the fire services here in Australia are volunteers. We are unpaid and we do it for the love of protecting the local and greater communities. We do it, because it needs to be done and it is a personal sacrifice that we make. The three key principals are, 1) Save human life, 2) Save property where we can and 3rdly) Save the environment. Human life takes priority for us. I am a serving member for just under 17 years and the thought of payment for what I do as a volunteer, doesn't even register with me every time I turn out to a callout.

[@zig-y1v]

Firefighters paid or volunteer do it for the love of protecting the local and greater community.

[@Sup3rAJ2]

My dad was a Volunteer Firefighter maybe 9 years ago, working with the Bendigo Station. He had some smaller health complications at the time (which has gotten progressively worse this year) and was usually in a bit of pain, but always got up each morning and took an hour drive to the station to fight fires. My dad had the mentality required to willing to put himself in danger for the sake of others and their families, I'll always respect him for that. (While his volunteer work at Bendigo fell through due to someone skimming money from donations, I do recall him working with the SES during some of the fairs they put on. I'd have to ask him about it because I don't remember particularly much as a kid.)

[@charliekezza]

These guys are our national heros. The fire trucks are made to be able to drive thru or shelter in place using thermo sheilds and water sprays

[@julesmarwell8023]

we are very lucky, cause when we have an emergency. our friends from singapore, britain, canada and the usa , COME TO HELP US OUT. THOSE FIRE fighters are all volunteers. the call them a hero is an insult. there are no words to praise them

[@kerriemccoy1647]

Also Australia helps other countries as well, including U.S., Canada.

[@TonyMoran-jt2bj]

In the 2000s NSW and Victorian fire fighters went to the US to help out

[@kerriemccoy1647]

@@TonyMoran-jt2bj they always do

[@Kiwinan1701]

And New Zealand!!

[@lizbailey7748]

The Black Saturday bushfires in victoria in 2009 killed 173 people and destroyed many homes. Both my nephews are volunteer "fire-ies" and the strong winds spread the blaze so very fast that people had no chance to get out. A massive tragedy.

[@bigs1546]

Ember strike is so scary ! I remember in the '70's fighting a fire at the back of our property by hand until the fire-ies arrived. It was my Sister and I with a few gunny sacks soaked in buckets of water [house only had trickle feed from the tank]. There were huge gums in the back going off like Roman Candles. The house eaves were filled with water and we didn't even lose a shed - phew !!

[@theghost6412]

I had a freind that managed to get out of Marysville just as the fire front came through. No sooner had they turned onto the Maroondah HWY going South Bound, they looked up into their rear view and just saw nothing but fire. They just floored it. They were hitting speeds of 200kph and the flames were keeping pace. They managed to escape, but the whole back bumper and back of the car was flame damaged. Family lost a lot of freinds in Marysville. So many families just gone :'(

[@bigs1546]

@@theghost6412 sorry for the losses - Marysville was so hard hit. The problem folk from overseas don't realise is that gum trees are just eucalyptus soaked wicks waiting to go up in flames. Or even scarier is when you see the fire tornados from the heat vortex.

[@theghost6412]

@@bigs1546 the hardest was telling the little ones that they couldnt go play with their little freinds again 😢

[@jayr4857]

Now that was a really bad day as bushfires go. Probably one of the worst. I live near bunyip state park and it wasn't ideal.

[@nolaj114]

Looking at this, you can see how easy it would be to become trapped. These guys are so brave.

[@suemontague3151]

I still remember Ash Wednesday 1983, I live in Melbourne and you could literally see the embers, it was frightening

[@richardearl9711]

We have two Fire Brigades in Australia, they will have different names in each state, there is the Metropoltan brigade that covers the cities and is staffed by full time paid Firefighters, and the Rural brigade which is volunteer firefighters with some full-time command and administrative staff. The blanket is a fire blanket and is one of several safety measures that can allow the crew to stay in the truck during a flash over, as stated in other comments trucks and crews were lost in the 80's in a flash over, prompting a major rethink on the trucks and equipment that was provided to rural brigades.

[@jeffbrooks8024]

Don't be shocked, Australian volunteers have had years of practice at this and by and large they are well prepared

[@mashy0001]

And that's why places like California send their crews here to places like the CFS state training centre at Brukunga.

[@NotSoSlimButAlittleShady]

Most of these guys are volunteers too! I’m so thankful that my homes been saved because of them. To answer your question about how hot it would be driving through the flames, tall flames reach approximately 1100-1600°c

[@annhaworth4514]

Don't forget Ryan the trees explode literally when on fire. It gets melting hot in a Bush fire. I remember my 2 eldest kids father going and fighting fires when the kids were little. I remember one time I took him and I had my eldest as a 1 year old in the back seat as well as a 7 and 8 year old step kids. Going through it in a car with no A/C 3 kids in the back and smoke everywhere.

[@Carolyn-o6l1c]

the firefighters are voluntary heroes who risk their lives for the rest of us and sadly some have lost thier lives doing this they deserve much more than they recieve and a national monument should be erected in their names true heroes

[@zig-y1v]

Not sure about other states and territories but NSW has a monument.

[@stevenalexander403]

G'day it's Steven from New South Wales Fire fighters are brave heroes, and this year it seems the bushfires have started early. I wish them well with great strength and may they all be safe.

[@Keith-p8f7x]

There were 2 volunteer firefighters killed in 2019. In the Australian bush there’s a lot of gum trees. Their leaves have oil in them and when they are on fire those oils can become a vapour and burn. When you look up you can see the fire spreading in the tops of the trees.

[@Erizedd]

My brother and sister are both volunteer firefighters, and were fighting the mega-balze in southern NSW during 2019/2020. It was an incredibly scary time, and I've always found them to be brave (even outside such things), however neither of them are big talkers so they never said too much about it. It's only when you see the footage of what they put up with that in videos like this that you get even a small sense of what they must go through, and the incredible bravery firefighters have to volunteer for such a job. Imagine the trauma they must come away with. Really scary shit.

[@IvysPoison1987]

I was evacuated last summer due to fires. A mate of mine had to quit the CFS due to PTSD from some big fires we had here years ago now. My psychology teacher died in during the same fires. Sad thing was she had gotten out but returned to grab things from her house. Do not ever go back into a fire zone. Possessions no matter how sentimental are not worth your life

[@karenglenn6707]

I would never go back for possessions but could never leave my pets and would rather go with them than lose them. My belongings mean nothing, my pets are my family.❤️

[@brycesinclair3479]

Been there back in 1984, in a burn-over while I was in a 4x4 Land-cruser. The only reason I live today is because I kept the vehicle moving in the flames. The after result of the vehicle was no paint left on the passenger side, the glass was tempered with rainbow stain pattens. All plastics and rubbers melted beyond use. I live today only by a miracle, but never forgetting the 2 minutes I couldn't breath determine to survive that 100% combustion event.

[@LiamRR5474]

To answer a few of your questions 1. In Rural/country fire trucks there are fire proof rolls attached to the roof of the truck inside the cab. They’re rolled down when the truck gets stuck in a blaze to provide some level of survivability for the men inside. 2. The melting point of rubber is over 400 degrees Celsius (750F) and fire truck tyres are typically thicker than standard vehicles so they can survive bushfire heat. Also some, not all sadly, trucks are equipped with water sprayers in the wheel wells to protect the tyres. 3. Damn right they should be paid! Every single one of them answered the call to protect their communities without a second thought, some even gave their lives and Australia will never forget a single one of them!

[@brontepetropoulos4755]

GREAT RESPECT FOR OUR FIRE FIGHTERS GOD BLESS THEM ALL !!!🇭🇲🦘

[@paulbritten1914]

Check out the footage of the fire-fighters who had to walk out when their truck broke down. The rural fire brigade in Australia is the largest volunteer organisation in the world. It can be very dangerous but so necessary. The 19 and 20 fires were horrific. I'll never forget. Captain Paul.🧑‍🚒🔥👍

[@Danceofmasks]

It's an el nino year. That trade wind is in reverse ... and as a result, we'll be getting a lot of very hot days, fires, and even drought.

[@lachiethomas5810]

As a Firey I get Nam style flashbacks watching stuff like this, the heat and the noise are incredible.

[@catherinesaviane795]

The 2nd video you watched was right near my home. We ended up with 8 fire trucks in our street as we are on acreage & the last stop before it takes out the town. Our thermometer got to 65 degrees celsius

[@snowwhite11920]

I'm a volunteer with the State Emergency Service and ran an evacuation centre in Central Queensland during the 2018/2019 fires, major respect to the Rural Fire Service volunteers who were on the front lines everyday fighting, without them we wouldn't have saved as many lives (human, pets and native wildlife) as we had during those weeks.

[@hannahjordan9833]

We have bushfires every year all across the country, but it's gotten noticibly worse in the last 10. Once I was trying to come home from a thing in the CBD and ended up having to leave the train and get on a looooong unusual bus ride to get home because the fire went straight across the train tracks and the bus had to circle around the area before coming up from the south. I live in Perth. I feel a sense of dread every Spring because maybe this time it will hit my home

[@MrZoomah]

If you have a sense of dread you should concentrate on preparing and rehearsing. Especially if you have kids. People, especially kids, who have trained themselves feel more in control and have less mental health issues following fires. DFES has some good resources to help with this and your local brigade usually has a 'bushfire ready group' who can give advice. Every year we do a full rehersal with my family. My brother calls us and says, "There is a fire coming from x direction. You can't leave because it's too close." The kids throw on their cotton clothing, globes and safety glasses and start filling containers while I pull furniture away from windows and take down curtains. Last year we had to evacuate and the kids were very excited to be able to use their skills. In contrast, their friends at school said how scared they were.

[@aldunlop4622]

It’s because of all these ignorant “Greenies” who fight against burn offs during winter months to reduce and properly manage the fuel load. We need more controlled burn offs during low risk times to properly manage our forests.

[@aussiefirefighting4062]

Hey, bro. I have been a volly and career firefighter here in Aus for over 26 years. Yes, it's full on and not all like that. This is what we call in South Australia a burn over where the fire appliances become trapped in the 'dead man zone' we train every year for this type of situation but always hoping we never need to use it. This normally occurs when working a side (flank) of a fire where an unexpected wind change happens, causing a sudden change of direction of the fire front. Now, most appliances have a built-in spinkler system over the cab, wheels, and pump to keep vital areas of the truck cool enough to provide safe refuge for crews. Feel free to message me if you want further info or have questions.

[@bblake5116]

We call it a windscreen in Australia. I’m heart breaks for all the poor animals in bush fires.

[@Warhorse469]

Our fire trucks are equipped with sprinklers that cover the entire vehicle with water. In addition, they use run-flat tires made from high-temperature rubber to withstand extreme heat. The trucks also have built-in air filtration systems that can withstand smoke and chemicals, similar to the ones used on tanks. Inside the cab, firefighters have access to fresh, breathable air.

[@rjbiker66]

They have a water drenching system on the trucks. As well as reflective heat curtains for the windows. US/Canadian firefighters regularly exchange firefighters with australia during extreme conditions and vice versa.

[@christophernicola9293]

Dude, this is giving me ptsd.. we lived in Kinglake Victoria Australia during the 2009 fires where at least 120 people died.. i clearly remember the front coming over the top of the house we were sheltering in.. just like an all mighty hail storm, but fire... it was crazy...thankful to be alive

[@atleastimgenuine3566]

These people are mostly volunteers. It’s incredible what they do.

[@voier]

The tires can burn but there is a sprinkler system on the trucks. I've been in a truck that had the fire get behind us and we drove out fast like it was a rally and one burn over, both times we had the sprinklers going and both times were pretty scary but the burn over was the worst. Being huddled in the bottom of the truck with blankets over the windows and us and the inside of the truck feels like an oven and there is nowhere you can go, just squash down and wait and listen the the bits of burning litter pelting the truck is something i'm glad i only had to do it once.

[@fionaellem4379]

My brother is a volunteer firefighter with the SES. He’s been called out to several fires already this year, and it’s only spring. It’s going to be a bad summer.

[@melanieward9615]

A huge thankyou to our volunteer fire fighters..you rock ladies and gentlemen

[@peterhope9706]

Hey Ryan. Thanks for these reaction videos. What a lot of the rest of the world doesn't understand is the nature of Australian woodland/forests. Most dominant tree species are varieties of eucalyptus. Basically, leaves are coated with (& contain) eucalyptus oil. We have a phenomenon of fires "jumping" roads/fire breaks/ creeks/rivers etc. Basically the heat front ahead of the actual fire front get hot enough that tree tops 10 to 20 meters away literally explode into flame ! So. Fires don't need dry tinder fresh new growth has highest oil content.

[@benosborne2711]

There is a video you should watch based on the same bushfires here in 2019-20 called Terrifying video shows Australian fire consumed area in under 3 minutes. Goes too show you how fast the fire was spreading due to the wind and heat

[@lillibitjohnson7293]

If we didn’t have volunteer fire fighters there would be no fire fighters in those areas. Australia is so big that it would cost billions to have a paid fire fighting force that covers the whole country.

[@asheronthedruid]

I honestly think that active volunteering firies and ambos should be exempt from paying the emergency services levy here in S.A. They're risking their safety and having to pay out of pocket expenses for the privilege.

[@lillibitjohnson7293]

@@asheronthedruid back in the early 80s they weren’t even covered by compensation if they were injured on the job. At least now they are covered if they are injured fighting fires at least. A pity they still aren’t covered if they’re injured during training Yes , all volunteers should be exempt for a lot of things regarding their volunteering work

[@Algebruh2407]

@@asheronthedruid Yeah that is pretty messed up. Here in Vic, volunteers get comprehensive health insurance and free counselling and therapy.

[@mashy0001]

@@asheronthedruid I don't think anyone really still believes that the ESL directly funds emergency services instead of going into general revenue. There's a lot of Adelaide suburbs where people pay the higher metropolitan rate but don't get an ambulance station anywhere near them or MFS coverage.

[@slushie560]

During the 2017 bush fires the fire was two streets away and outside looked like the second video. We were forced to shelter in place as the fire basically surrounded us. And during the 2019 I was on holidays and the fires were 20 minutes away and the sky was completely covered in smoked and it looked like night 24/7

[@benjaminbradshaw621]

Many of the fire trucks that work in bush areas have special nozzles that squirt water down onto the tires to stop them from being affected by the heat

[@nedchirgwin2803]

The fire front is insane. In my cousins first fire, they had a flash over. And then one of the other trucks got flipped like a toy by the updraft, killing one. Think about how strong that updraft has to be to toss a 16 ton truck into the air.

[@katetoner3077]

That was probably Hillville. My girlfriend lived there. Visiting her would mean 10 km of dirt road through the bush. She was at Brisbane airport on her way for a cruise to the Antarctic when she got a phone call saying her place was under threat, she lost a shed but they flew over with retardant and that saved her house. A bit over a month later when she had just gotten back she was in a hotel for a week and went home. A few days later she got a funny feeling and packed her important things in a bag and left for a motel. Her house burnt down that night because there had been roots underground still smoldering. She told me that an old man up the road that she knew, had been doing some welding and inadvertently started a grass fire. 600 houses later......It was brutal.

[@annekebeekhuizen2354]

If you see the name on the truck it states "Davidson" that is a Sydney beach area

[@rais1953]

He might have been prosecuted for that. During fire danger weather activities that can start a fire such as welding are prohibited.

[@katetoner3077]

ok, I didn't realise. Good to know. Considering how many there were at the time, it was a silly call by me!@@annekebeekhuizen2354

[@way2dumb]

My sympathy for the victims.

[@minirogue1989]

My mum is a rural firie. She was involved in two burnovers during the 2019-2020 fire season. She hasnt gone back on the fire ground since - she suffers from PTSD but she rocks it in the incident centre now. So proud of her. Shes saying conditions are so similar to 2019 now - dry, hot, windy conditions, high fuel loads and fuck all done to prepare for it by governments warned for months... years at this point. Be prepare everyone. Have your 5 Ps ready to go - papers (id and the like), pets, pills, provisions (food, water, clothes, chargers, torch, radio etc), precious (photos, jewelery, sentimental items). Have routes planned - more than 1 to account for where the fire could be. Be safe everyone. Be prepared.

[@stephaniebell4272]

My husband is a firefighter. The situations are unbelievable.

[@GreenDistantStar]

The radiant heat from a bushfire kills you long before the flames do. I live in a bushfire-prone zone, and there's a formula for how far away you have to be from flames of X height before you get roasted. These folks are phenomenal, and yes, a great many are volunteers.

[@moosethe1st910]

Australian fire trucks are fitted with water jets to blanket the cabin and the tyres to prevent the the fire truck and crew being lost in flames, the Fire trucks are fitted with double shielding to protect the crew.

[@thatoneguy6014]

5:04 "the tires must be made of something else, these aren't your good year tires" thats because we got bob jane t-marts down here

[@Reefsider-fq4sk]

Ryan whilst they're volunteers they train throroughly and often and aren't stupid. They're dedicated emergency responders and are in the thick of every Aussie disaster in their specific regions. When I lived in a country town you'd hear the town siren calling the guys to training every Tuesday evening, it was comforting. You must have heard of our guys flying over to the US and Canada when they're running short or need relieving during their bushfires? And not just from here, there's a whole world full of volunteers who fly wherever needed around the world when called. We have your guys over here when needed as well.

[@davidcarter8133]

My dad was a rural fire fighter for 25 years.yep there volunteers

[@jennimcdonald7115]

You understand why we love our fire fighters all of them .

[@ValleyBanger]

In financial year 2021, there were around 144 thousand volunteer firefighters across Australia, and over 56 thousand support staff volunteers.

[@bigoz1977]

We have both here in Australia mate, normal PAID fire brigade and the RFS rural fire service, who are usually locals in the particular area where they work for the rfs .

[@eleonoragiacomazzi5775]

These brave men and women volunteers are 'super heroes' The dedication and courage to go through the gates of hell is something incomprehensible to me. Much gratitude to all of them..

[@PFOZ-nf7xp]

That WAS the day the firefighters told the PM to frackn off

[@missrocks]

The fact that Black Summer had a firenado flip a fire truck, it's not just heat, but turbulence as well

[@georgeedmond3401]

Australia has a big volunteer culture. The fireys take care of the bush and the lifesavers take care of the beach and a lot of parents in the city burbs volunteer at sports clubs. After the Brisbane floods a few years back, people came from everywhere to help the locals clean up. React to the Mud Army.

[@MrZoomah]

Volunteering is worth more to Australia than the mining industry. The only things that top it is our education and finance sectors.

[@steyreye]

Aussie rural fire trucks have some modifications to make them safer (but certainly not fully safe!) in these scenarios, depending on the appliance's age and State service they are from. Most commonly we have radient heat blinds for each window, woolen fire blankets within the cab to cover yourself with (which you saw being held up in the last video). Some will have heat sheilding around critical components (brake lines, electrical, battery covers etc.) and some plastic components replaced with metal (eg. door handles, mirror surrounds). And most trucks now have a cabin deluge systems typically referred to as the 'halo' system, which uses water spray jets over the cabin provided your pump still works and you have water remaining. Newer appliances have in-cab breathing systems providing a limited supply of fresh air via masks incase the interior plastic lining of the roof and doors begins to melt giving off fumes. All very unpleasant! But I'm glad it's available when/if things get nasty, unlike our forebears who sadly in many cases paid the price with their lives and we've learned some hard lessons within the fire services.

[@leannestanford5871]

60% of firefighters in Australia are volunteers, the other 40% of paid firefighters train the 60% otherwise it is mainly volunteer service firefighter’s based My uncle was one of the 40% to which got paid to train firefighters, and two he retired. He was very good at what he did, and I’m proud to have him as an uncle and a member of a firefighter. My other uncle is a volunteer firefighter I am proud of both of them for doing their duty in service to the community. There is not a lot of people who would be willing enough to all brave enough to do the job shout out to all those who are Australian firefighter heroes❤❤❤❤

[@tiaelina1090]

That was a frightening time as every state apart from the Northern Territory was affected and had bushfires. Our brave firefighters really fought hard and had help from other countries which was amazing. I pray we never have to go through that again. We are slowly recovering and I think those brave men and woman deserve pay rises and medals. Thanks for the video.💕

[@mariasant3220]

In those fires a few firefighters did loose their lives ... unfortunately ... those firefighters were fleeing for their lives as the fire surrounded them , there was one fire truck that did get stuck in the fire i believe ... very sad those fires that year

[@inprice123]

A bit of context. This clip is of a NSW Fire and Rescue truck and not an RFS (Rural Fire Service) crew. F and R mostly operate in urban environments and their trucks don't have the same level of protection as an RFS truck. RFS trucks are equipped with a sprinkler system called HALO to protect the crew in the event of a burn over as well as heavy roll down reflective curtains to cover all the windows to block out the radiant heat. From memory, this truck or the one in front eventually broke down when the pressure line for the air brakes melted and the brakes came on and couldn't be released. They put their breathing apparatus and walked out, abandoning the truck which was destroyed. These guys are Fire and Rescue and paid full timers, unlike the RFS who are nearly all volunteers. I shot this clip going to help a crew that was trapped on a burning property in 2019. A retaining wall of car tires was burning and the smoke was so thick they couldn't navigate out. Everything was on fire. When they saw our lights they followed us out. It got a bit tense for a moment. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4iyl31vrMhqoLs

[@bethmetcalf3447]

My nephew is a volunteer fireman, I’m very proud of him😀 I would think the firemen & women in America would have to deal with bushfires and probably do the same🤷🏻‍♀️

[@MrDragonflair]

yes its bloody hot both outside and inside the cab, 90% of our bushfire firetrucks are equipped with a "halo". a ring around the cab that covers it with water (hense the wipers going) there are also sprayers over the wheels to avoid melted and blown tyres. it is ALOT safer for us to drive in fire than anyone else :P

[@janbaker7005]

I enjoy your videos and appreciate my Aussie country so much. Fire-fighters in Australia are often volunteers...we love and honour them. We occasionally lose them . By the way..noone says Happy Arvo here...keep up the good work.❤

[@babyboomerinc]

He's trying to start a trend with Happy Arvo! It won't take off tho

[@S3pra]

Happy arvo has kinda become his tagline - as for the rest, absolutely agree; love and honour all firies

[@oakfat5178]

@@babyboomerinc Happy Arvo, from SA

[@Wolfe351]

So many emotions watching these again. The first vid is from Kangaroo Island in the Flinders Chase National park approx Jan 2020....this was in daytime!! My Family lives at the other end of the Island and we thought we would lose the lot. They stopped the fires only about 15km from Dad's end of the Island, being over 200km away in Adelaide and unable to do anything about it. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming

[@cathybrowning2337]

Most of the firefighters are volunteers

[@JisforJenius]

That second vid with the guy telling Jasper to put the blanket up was filmed maybe 30 minutes from where i live. That truly was a hellish day/week/season. The day that footage was filmed, i had spent the day hosing down my house and garden because the prevailing wind meant the flames and embers were likely to over run us at some point. We had been advised to leave in the days before hand, if that was our chosen course of action. Most people stayed, although a number of families with small children in our street did leave the region. Then a few hrs before the sun went down on that day, the wind changed and sent the fire front north west towards Nowra and Kangaroo Valley, where that harrowing footage was filmed. And it did not stop for days. The fires were so hot and intense that they created their own weather. Just unbelievable. Terrible loss of bushland, homes and billions of animals perished horribly. There are people still without homes rebuilt, even now. Those firefighters are nothing less than heroes. I was physically and emotionally exhausted just from one day of trying to protect my house, but these guys fought fire every waking hr for weeks, without pay, under conditions that would terrify anyone. How can we ever repay them?

[@stevewren1079]

Eucalyptus trees (thanks to the oil) literally explode.

[@carolcoffey4154]

My husband was a volunteer bush firey. Yes, this is actual footage of what they go thru. They do not get paid, they are "normal" people. Mich respect

[@teresabealey7049]

2nd video looks like one of the fires near where i live, certainly very scary

[@annekebeekhuizen2354]

the firetruck belongs to the Davidson fire brigade (Sydney beach area)

[@stuartrobertson9508]

The 2nd video was fire and rescue nsw.

[@teresabealey7049]

yes and not having the level of protection that RFS trucks have they were very lucky to be alive. The road was a dead end so no other way out, they just had to go for it@@stuartrobertson9508

[@lynnmoses3563]

Unbelievable Ryan... Most firefighters that go out to these blazes in the bush are volunteers, and some of the best in the world...Hard to imagine how absolutely devastating fires are till youre in the thick of them....The thing with fires is, they can turn so quickly, and then theres just no escape....No, the volunteers dont get paid, unlike regular firefighters....Australians can donate to help out tho, and regularly do...Extraordinary people, and we owe them a great deal.....

[@legolads1732]

A few years ago Australian volunteer fire fighters and support staff numbered over 200,000 people. Unfortunately every year we lose a few of these heroes, sometimes from a deliberately lit fire. We need to punish the people who light fires for fun way more than we do, no matter how stupid they are.

[@Paul77ozee]

The people who deliberately lit fires should be charged with attempted murder. Plus they must have to confront the people who were affected by the fires.

[@user-ne7fi3nn8r]

Aussie Firies are real heroes. Thank you for doing what you do. ❤️❤️

[@HMAP792]

this would of been the black summer bushfires just before Covid- Started 2019 and continued through into 2020. Then Covid hit

[@bigs1546]

and the P.M. was holidaying in Hawaii and took forever to come back and deal with it - wondered why the fire-ies snubbed him !

[@CQuinnLady]

dont forget the floods in between the 2.

[@bigs1546]

@@CQuinnLady of course - I'm in SE Qld so they happen all the time, but the last time Lismore, Casino area and Grafton area was nearly that bad was the early '80's - my ex & I were coming back from Sydney. If it wasn't for McCafferty's Bus to follow on the back roads we'd have been there a week. Sneaky driver.

[@AUSSIEs340]

The 2019 fires were one of the worst. I nearly lost my home to theses fires and my school, was sent a evacuation warning to leave as the fire was literally no more then 300 meters from my school so 800 meters to 1 kilometre away from my house but (example for how hot it was) it was that hot that I had jumped into my pool at 10pm at night watching these flames mid way in the sky aussie fire brigade volunteers deserve better than the recognition they got they risked their own lives left their homes and families just to help others no one will ever go through what these people have done as well as those volunteers helping countries at war like Ukraine

[@aussieausdeutschland4245]

As many have already stated, they do it for free, and why? because it's a community thing and the men are women are trying to save everyone from disaster.

[@christhompson4270]

It is hell on earth for the firefighters, a lot of roads are dirt roads too. They do a wonderful job for volunteers. I take my hat off to them. All over Australia the trees are very flammable and go up super quick and very hot.

[@35manning]

I used to be a volunteer firefighter in Victoria and have fought everything from house fires to bush fires. The trucks we use for the bush have water sprays that can be turned on for the wheels and the entire truck, along with heat resistant curtains to drop over the windows. There are two terms which are pretty bad, flash over and burn over. A flash over more commonly happens in structural fires but can happen anywhere. It's when everything is heater up to its autoignition temperature and suddenly everything erupts in flames. A burn over is only for bush fires, where a fire front reaches vehicles / fire fighters and "burns over" them. This is where the curtains are deployed, the vehicle water spray systems are turned on and if there's any aerial fire fighting assets available, they will be called in to drop water / fire retardant around the fire fighters to help protect them. It's a situation that we try to avoid at all costs, but it's also mandatory pre-fire-season training to do burn over drills.

[@Preview43]

Even after 40 years since the Ash Wednesday bushfires and escaping a horrible death only due to a random choice of escape route and a lot of luck, it is still very hard to watch these guys in action without choking up. We lost everything we weren't wearing but others lost so much more. It takes a special person to run INTO the flames.

[@BJM217]

I live in an area covered by CFS, Country Fire Service in South Australia. The fire station and all firefighters are volunteers. The job they do is amazing, putting their lives on the line each summer. They fund raise to purchase their equipment and often it’s substandard. The fire station in my area was condemned 2 years ago and yet these heroes turn up every week in their own time to do their training. Our local community is very proud of the Sellicks Beach CFS.

[@henrystevens9893]

Ryan, I've just found your post. Thanks . I'm 85. I've had a couple of run-ins with bushfires in my time. Back in '62 I spent 2 weeks, wrapped in a blanket that was liberally doused with water every few minutes, in the open cab of a Cat6 dozer while we cut fire-breaks during the fires n Dandenong ranges E of Melbourne. The second tine was in when the bushfires swept though the Strathbogie ranges (outside Euroa) in 1990..Lost 100 head of cattle, all the grass & fence posts, from the paddocks, snapped 3x 60 foot pines off (about 8foot from the ground) and chucked them into the paddock next door, burned a 10x30 shed full of hay (Heat bent the steel frame). Stopped the fire before it got the house (scorched the outside wall though). Still get emotional! People came from all over the state to help. The girls still have a photo of them (black as spades from the soot) (3 & 5 at the time) sitting in the trailer behind the quad bike driven by their 9yo brother as they carted sandwiches and thermos' of tea around to the volunteer fencing crew