They're Going Home

This lone NSW Fire and Rescue truck looks to be going home. It is from Parkes, a town out in the middle of the state. A couple of days ago it joined about twenty similar trucks from all over the state to form a line along this section of the highway which almost disappeared over the hill. They are allowed to stay on station for about five days, up to twelve hours a day. These particular guys have done their rotation for a while and are returning home. As they drive away, they are replaced by units from all over Australia and New Zealand. Day and night they arrive and take their place in the line.

More important to people like me, however, they were part of the task force which helped to save the string of rural communities at the top of the Blue Mountains. Two nights ago, protected by a lull in the unfavourable weather, several hundred firefighters (mostly highly trained RFS volunteers) started to put in a containment line north of Blackheath to protect the westerrn highway villages from the ravages of a fire that damn near looked unstoppable. They hiked into position. They were driven into place by all terrain vehicles. They were inserted into remote locations by helicopters. They scrambled up and down gullies and ravines and they set the bush alight in one gigantic, desperately risky backburn.

Today, the moment we had been dreading came upon us. We all held our breath as the cruel winds (gusting to 100kph) resumed. Walls of flame assaulted the work which the firefighters had striven so hard to complete ... and the black line held. The ... black .. line ... HELD!!! YOU BLOODY BEAUTY!!

It's not over yet, but in spite of what the media would like you to believe, today, humanity scored a minor victory against nature. Gawd! We're proud of these men and women.