Original subtitles

Fires across the country

have burnt more than 6 million hectares...

fires so volatile,

they're creating their own weather systems...

just absolutely catastrophic,

the flames dancing through the tops of the trees...

Smoke from the bushfires in Australia has blown to New Zealand,

blanketing some of the country's retreating glaciers...

emergency crews were stretched thin,

struggling in chaotic conditions.

No-one can prepare you for it. That's for sure.

Hey...

Ruth?

Ruth?!

I'm here!

Oh, shit. Shit!

I can't get onto Leo!

Maybe they got out!

Call Hendo... Oh, Christ!

Bastard!

Ohh...

Get the hose, quick! Start wetting down!

Ruth, I can't... I can't untangle it!

Give it to me. I'm doing my best!

Shit!

Bucket. Go!

Oh, yuck! Ash.

I'm gonna try Leo and Maria again.

Ohh...

Fuck!

It's hit their house!

They would've gotten out.

They would've gone. They... they would've.

Oh, my God!

No...

Fuck! Oh!

The animals!

Nawra!

Get the carry cages! We'll get them to the ute!

Take them to the sanctuary!

Oh, shit!

We can't drive in this.

Nawra, we can't stay out here!

Ruth, we can get them in the house, OK?

They're sick. It's our job to look after them!

Go on, go. Hey, hey, come on.

Go, go, go, go!

Stop it! What are you doing?!

Go on. Go, go, go! They're gonna... they're gonna die!

It's their best chance! Ruth, we can get them in the house!

There is no fucking time! Go!

Nawra, go!

Shit.

We could've gotten them out.

We could've taken them somewhere safe, Ruth.

Call triple zero, you tell them that we're in the house,

we are sheltering in the laundry and we are surrounded by fire.

Tell them to get the fire trucks here now.

Hello? I can't hear you!

Hey, come into the laundry.

The fire is all around us!

What's your location?

10 Blue Wren Road, West Curran.

Please just come quick.

The fire service has no reports of fires in that area.

He's fucking joking, right?

Kip? MAN: Yeah, coming.

10 Blue Wren Road.

ESTA - two women sheltering, West Curran.

There's not supposed to be a fire there.

Curran sector commander from Dumont ICC Operations.

Good luck. I've been trying to get him for 20 minutes.

Dumont ICC to all sectors.

Going to require a sitrep at 0500.

Copy that.

Greg, this just came in.

Fire predictions are way off.

I can't reach the sector commander

and every appliance except the strike team are at the Borriga fire.

Get a sitrep from the Queensland strike team leader

and see if they can attend.

Copy that.

No way. I'm not leaving. I'm defending my home.

That fire is 20 minutes away.

We can't stay. And this place...

It's not defendable.

It's a tinderbox.

Have you got anywhere safe to go?

You tell us. Where's safe?

Rollo's opened up the co-op. I saw it online.

Tash! Priority call.

10 Blue Wren Road, West Curran.

Two women sheltering - priority.

Acknowledged - priority, 10 Blue Wren Road, West Curran.

Wilco. Over. Mott, we've gotta go.

That is so close.

Just head back to town.

Please.

The ute's OK for now.

But if the fire gets to it...

What do we do? We wait for the firies.

It's OK. The concrete's gonna keep us cool.

And if it gets really bad,

we cover ourselves and we wait for it to burn over.

We need to get low. Come on.

Don't. Don't do that to me now.

Yeah.

We'll be OK. It's OK.

There's still 20-something residents

at the Valla Nursing Home.

Caller said they could see flames approaching!

Have you been able to get onto the section commander for that area?

Still not responding. They're flat out on the fire ground.

OK, well, who else is close by?

What about Weimar? On their way to Borriga.

Too far. I got no-one! No-one I can raise anyway.

They're all off the radios.

It's north-east of Curran.

No... no! No way, mate. No way!

Queensland team's the closest.

What about my women on Blue Wren? Nursing home's a priority call.

Blue Wren's a priority call, Dell. There's two people.

Valla's 20, more, old folk, and they can't be moved.

Mate, the...

Please.

Reroute the Queensland team.

Strike Team QFB 04 from Dumont ICC Operations.

I've got a priority call.

Around 20 people sheltering at Valla Nursing Home.

Copy that. Rerouting now.

What about Blue Wren priority job?

I'll let them know.

Who's going to those women?

I'm calling in medical for you.

No, I'll be fine.

Dumont ICC Operations from Strike Team QFB 04.

We have an injured team member.

Can we organise a pick-up for him

to be transported for medical assistance?

Kip Fisher from Vic Forests. Are you safe to talk?

Where are the trucks? The roof is on fire!

OK, you need to find shelter.

Is there a safe place you can get to?

There is no safe place. The whole house is burning!

Listen, you need woollen blankets,

dry, not wet.

You need to get underneath them.

We've got blankets. What we need is trucks!

You need to keep calm and stay low.

When will they get here?!

I'm sorry, but we currently have

no available appliances in responding distance.

No, they... they...

Um, they said that a truck was coming.

We are unable to respond to your call at this time.

If, uh, an appliance does become available, we will...

Oh, FUCK!

We're on our own.

OK.

OK, come on.

Come on. Crying's not gonna help.

Hey, listen.

Hey.

The ute... I don't think I... I can't.

I don't think I can do it. I can't do it.

Hey.

It's 100 metres and we can make it, mm?

No, it's... it's too late to leave. That's what you said.

And what... what about the...

Oh!

I'm not dying in here.

Oh...

You don't stop for anything.

Go!

Oh, fuck!

Holy fuck.

Oh, my God!

Oh, God!

Oh, my God. Come on! Let's go!

Go! Go! Go!

We made it!

We did it, Ruth. You got us out.

Hey, let's go to town.

Find somewhere safe.

Ruth?

You do whatever you want.

I don't care.

What happened? We got out.

Oh, shit! Hey, you right?

Yeah, we're right.

Your place?

Yeah, yeah.

So West Curran's gone up now? Jesus Christ!

We need to get out of here.

We need to get down to the coast, yeah?

They've been up all night.

I couldn't get onto Leo and Maria.

Grab the ladies some water, would you?

Back kitchenette, cups above the sink.

Give us a hand, babe.

For God's sake, take a load off.

Where's your family? They alright?

Uh, the evacuation centre down the coast.

I sent them there a couple of days ago.

Where was our warning? Ruth...

No, you're on the council, Rollo! If you...

It doesn't give me a direct line to God, Ruth.

Hey, here you go, mate. Here.

Hey. Thanks.

It's too intense. We're pulling back.

Did you get the rest of your critters out, hon?

We were in the middle of rehoming them when it hit.

Aww...

Poor little fella.

Yeah, we had to let the rest of them go.

Some of them were just babies.

Did you have a good Chrissie at least?

Did we have a good Chrissie, Ruth?

Don't, Nawra.

Sorry. Did I say something?

No, no.

Sorry. We broke up.

Far out.

Timing.

Yeah.

Borriga Pumper, please report.

Do you have a sitrep... Hey, Greg?

Um, Blue Wren Road, mate, did you get anyone in?

The council tried. They got pushed back.

Nobody can get through.

Queensland could have got there.

Copy that, Kuara.

Please report.

Dumont ICC Operations from Strike Team QFB 04.

Come in, Queensland.

Uh, we've assessed the nursing home.

There's good clearance all around. No immediate threat.

We advise they stay in and just call in again if there's a threat.

We had a report of visible flames.

I think they just got spooked.

Wait. Valla was a bust?

Also, reporting the team member

has been picked up by medical support unit.

Copy that.

You can head to Curran town and refuel.

The caller said they could see the fire.

They were really distressed.

We couldn't get reports from the ground so we had to...

That team should've been sent to Blue Wren Road

when it still had a chance to get in there.

We can't second-guess, Kip!

Well, now it's too late, isn't it,

because someone saw smoke and freaked out.

We can only go on the information we're given.

They said there were flames! You need a break?

No, mate, I don't need a break.

I need a fucking truck

when I've got two people trapped in a burning house.

I can't pull trucks I don't have! Well, we had one, Dell!

We had one. You took it for a false alarm.

Borriga Pumper 2, please report.

Borriga Pumper 2, loop back.

Can we find out if the coast road's clear yet?

It's not a bloody two-way, Macca. It's a scanner.

We need to get the kids out.

Huh, it's just gobbledegook.

Where are you gonna go?

Gonna wait here till it's safe to go back.

Oh, for Godsakes, there's nothing left!

And I need to check on Leo and Maria.

What size boots do you take?

I don't know. Uh, nine or...

Request backup at Borriga.

What's our local crew doing in Borriga?

It's all I've got in your size, but you know what?

I think they've got your name on them.

Thanks.

Why aren't our crews here? What are they doing 50 k's away?

We had frigging Queenslanders come to ours.

All our crews got pulled.

There's something like a hundred houses under threat up there.

My house was under threat!

They were heading to Blue Wren, those Queenslanders.

I heard 'em.

Yeah, they... they said someone was coming

and then they called back and they...

They fuckin' abandoned us.

They're doing the best they can.

Nobody knew it was going to get this bad.

They bloody knew.

The government had plenty of warning that this summer was coming.

It's the government's fault again, right?

If they had even bothered to meet with that group of fire chiefs,

they could've been properly prepared.

Piss off, Ruth. You're not the only one who's hurting here.

My place went up last night too

and I haven't been able to get out there to see what's still standing

because I'm stuck here with you lot.

Why didn't you say anything?

What for?

You gonna get me a hankie?

What was that?

The grid's down again.

I'll get the genny going.

Oh, my God!

Ruth, look.

Maria!

Oh...

It's all gone.

Where's Leo?

He went out the back to check on the cows.

The fire just came tearing through and Leo wasn't back with the ute

so I just put on my boots and ran out.

Now, you need something? You hungry?

Cup of tea?

Yeah.

Milk and two sugars, and leave the bag in.

I shouldn't have left him, Ruth.

I should've stayed.

Hang on.

We need backup...

Now, this little fella really likes to be close to someone.

Here you go.

Oh!

Hey?

He's a real snuggle-pie.

Hey, big sook. Hello, beautiful.

You're safe, young one.

I don't have to go straightaway.

I mean, you'll need to rebuild the cages,

all the injured wildlife...

The shelter won't be able to cope with them all.

No, thanks.

It's a massive job.

And the house...

You hate paperwork.

I can cope.

Ruth...

I don't want you hanging around here 'cause you feel sorry for me.

No, that's not it! No? It's what it sounds like.

Why do you have to do that?

That first night we were together,

do you remember what you said?

You said, "This isn't gonna last."

Well, I was right, wasn't I?

You want to leave.

Because you have never given me

even the slightest hint you'd care if I stayed.

Sorry. Look, I don't mean to be a stickybeak.

But he's just wet.

I'll get something. Here.

Don't. What?

Push her away.

She's leaving me!

She's leaving because you're impossible!

Everybody around here loves you, Ruthie, but you don't make it easy.

So you're on her side too?

Hey, take a break.

Go on. Take a break.

I got it.

Last stop and then we're home free.

Yeah, for five days.

I'm gonna sleep for half of 'em.

You better be awake for New Year's

'cause we're going dancing.

Mmm...

Hey.

All good? Yep, I'm fine. I'm fine.

How are you? What are you doing? Making my meatloaf, your favourite.

Ohh! There's enough for an army.

Bring Mott. He'll love that.

You OK?

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, I'm-I'm fine. I'm just... tired.

I can't wait to see you.

I love you. I love you too.

Hey, Ruth!

Those Queenslanders, the ones that abandoned you, they're here.

Bullshit.

Where the fuck were you last night?! Sorry?

Blue Wren Road, your truck was called to help us, and then what?

Hey, easy, what's going on? We had another priority call.

You got out! Shit, that's awesome.

Awesome?! Ruth, just...

We... we don't decide what jobs to go to.

We were this close, this fucking close.

Nearly didn't make it. Hey, just back off.

OK, if you made it out, then you should've reported it.

It's not her fault. OK, whose fault is it?

Who is running this show?! Just stop it, Ruth!

They're just kids! Fuck off, Nawra!

Fuck off!

I'm really sorry. I'm so sorry.

Tash...

Tash, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

Hey.

Ohhh. Just don't take it personally, yeah?

How do I not?

You leaving? Yeah.

Yeah, heard on your scanner the coast road's clear

so we're making a run for the evacuation centre.

You got a spare seat in your car? Oh, yeah, just the one.

Be a bit squishy, but. It's not for me.

Dumont ICC Operations from Strike Team QFB 04.

Come in, Strike Team QFB 04.

Returning to station to be relieved for changeover.

Copy that.

That Blue Wren priority call, the residents made it out.

They were sheltering in a business in town with a few others.

What's their condition?

Pissed as hell.

Yep, fair enough. Over.

That's good news.

Still mad at you.

Not as mad, though.

Oh, there we go.

No, can't hear the radio.

One song.

You love Donna. Come on - Donna. You and Donna go way back!

Come on, next line, next one, ready? I don't know the lyrics.

Come on. You gotta know the lyrics. No.

I got it. OK, OK, OK.

That's right. See? Yeah, come on.

You packing?

That one's mine.

You wanted to go.

No, you decided that, like you decide everything.

I loved you.

I still love you... because I'm an idiot.

But don't worry, I'll get over it.

Leo!

Oh, God, you're alright. Oh!

Oh, we thought... Oh, you're alright!

Oh, you're alright. We... Oh, we thought that...

Oh, God, it's good to see you!

Where's Maria?

Maria.

Maria!

Leo! Leo! Leo!

Oh, you stupid, stupid man. I was so worried about you!

I dropped the bloody phone in the mud, I couldn't call you.

We found him when we went up to try and save their place.

Yeah, he and the poddy were up to their necks in mud.

Daisy's new calf got stuck. I had to hold his head above the water.

Can you imagine being so stupid that you drown in a fire?

Is he alright? Yeah.

Ah, we've gotta get him to hospital, get him checked out.

Oh, yeah, I've only got the one seat spare.

He can take my space.

I'm not going anywhere without this old thing.

Will you... Will you stop fussing at me?!

Alright, well, looks like the seat's yours again, Nawra.

Come on, let's go. Let's go.

I can't take Joey to the city.

I can handle microwaving a bottle.

OK, Macca, stick to the main roads.

Keep the radio on at all times.

And for God's sake, just be...

..just be careful, son.

Good luck.

No. Wait!

Wait! Wait! Stop.

Macca, Macca, stop, stop. What now?

Um...

Where's that bottle again?

It's in the bag.

Alright. Gotta get moving, Ruth.

Yeah. Um...

Um, how much of the formula?

A teaspoon in 100 mils. OK, good, I always forget that.

Ruth, come on.

Can you just wait a... I'm...

I'm really hopeless with a lot of stuff.

Yeah, you are.

Come with us, stay here, I don't really care,

just... I've gotta drive.

I don't want you to go.

OK. Will you please stay, Nawra?

Please?

Didn't we meet sitting in a gutter?

Yeah, outside the Prince. Mmm.

Classy from the start, huh?

Yeah, you know it. Mmm.

So, uh, you wanna come back to mine?

Mmmm.

I mean, the place is a bit of a fixer-upper, but...

..apparently so am I.

Good bones, though. Yeah?

Yeah, I think we can make something of it.

You do? Yeah, I do.

Shit.

Oh, fuck.

Greg!

Ah, wind change, south-west, turning towards Curran.

Whoa, where did that come from?

That's weird.

Fuck me, not again.

Alright, we have a Red Flag Warning, please acknowledge.

Uh, wind change, south-west, 80. Curran township under direct attack.

Inform and acknowledge. Pull whatever you can from Borriga!

Pull 'em from anywhere you can!

Tillerton sector commander,

all appliances acknowledge Red Flag.

Copy that, Tillerton, leave Borriga firegrounds.

Set up Curran exit control south of the bridge. Curran under attack.

It'll be too late by the time they get down there. We're the closest.

No! Come on, we're on changeover, Tash.

But all those people in town.

You wanna let scary lady have another go at you?

Mott! No!

Curran will hold until the other crews get there, OK?

Mott...

Pleeeeease?

Fine.

Dumont ICC Operations from Strike Team QFB 04,

we're heading back to Curran, we'll set up control and send word back.

Copy that. And, hey, thank you. I owe you a beer when this is over.

Yeah, make it a keg. Copy that.

Get inside! Get inside!

We're gonna start wetting down!

Strike Team QFB 04...

They're sending trucks. ..about 10 minutes away from Curran.

Report crews nearby.

That's the Queenslanders who were here, the young ones.

Might as well have dessert first.

Now, I know you and I haven't

exactly seen eye to eye politically always,

but I like strawberry, you like choc mint.

No-one likes choc mint, Rollo.

ICC Operations to Strike Team QFB 04, please report.

Strike Team QFB 04...

Shit!

Holy shit!

Oh!

Strike Team QFB 04 from Dumont ICC Operations.

I didn't quite catch that last bit. Could you please repeat?

Tash?

Queensland, repeat? Tash?

Queensland?

Come in, Queensland Strike Team. Tash?

Tash? Tash?

I've lost the strike team.

I've got you. I've got you.

OK. OK.

Tash?

Tash?!

Tash?

Come on. Come on. Hey.

Hey. Look at me. Look at me.

Hey.

I can't feel my...

Tash, it's alright. It's alright.

Don't move, don't move, don't move. I can't move my...

I'm gonna radio them for help, OK? Yeah?

Thanks.

Tash?

Tash, stay awake.

Tash, stay with me.

Tash!

Oh, shit.

Come in, Dumont ICC...

Fuck! Ahhh! Emergency.

The truck slipped, impact, the crew leader...

Tash is hurt real bad and we need help, OK?! We need help!

Keep him calm. OK.

Ask if she's breathing. Alright.

Hello. Ambulance, please.

Is she breathing? Ah, I don't know. I think so.

Hang on.

Ah, w-what's your location?

I don't know.

Just... just a road... road name, an intersection, a landmark, anything.

Um, we crossed a bridge not too long ago.

I know that spot.

She's not breathing.

Anderson's Road, about 2km north of the highway.

Ambos on their way.

You're gonna have to give her CPR.

I can talk you through it until the ambos get there.

OK, so what you need to do is... is push down on the chest hard,

do 30 compressions, then two breaths.

OK.

How about you count aloud so I can count with you, mate?

OK. 30... 30 compressions.

One, two, three, four,

five, six, seven, eight, nine...

10, 11, 12,

13, 14,

15, 16, 17, 18, 19...

20, 21, 22... 20, 21, 22, 23,

24, 25, 26, 27, 28,

29, 30.

Now go for another round.

Compressions, OK? Let's go.

Come on, Tash, one, two... One, two...

..three, four,

five, six, seven...

Elev...

Tash?

Hey? Hey, Tash.

Please... please breathe.

Please.

Please breathe.

It's OK, I got you.

I got you.

I got you.

Curran Sector Command,

Tanker 1 approaching Curran, ETA five minutes.

Copy that, Curran.

Set up control and send word back.

Uh, Tillerton Command, please report location.

Copy that. Dumont ICC Operations.

It was a case of every man and woman for themselves

when a group in the small community of Curran

managed to survive by sheltering in a local shop,

protected by a DIY firefighting unit until help arrived.

There's been some international criticism

of Australia's response to the fires.

What do you say to that? ROLLO: Yeah.

Well, no-one would've known the scale these fires were gonna reach.

Oh, they knew, Rollo! MAN: Look around you, mate!

Is there something you'd like to say?

It's not the time for politics, Ruth.

You...

People here are doing everything they can.

They're fighting.

But that's not enough, the... This is too big.

Our home burned down around us.

We didn't think that we were gonna get out.

Our neighbours, our friends, they've got NOTHING left.

They've got nowhere to go.

It's the same with the animals, all the beautiful wild animals.

Their... their habitat is completely destroyed.

And people are dying, like really young people,

before they've even had a life.

I... Wh... Yeah.

I mean, how bad does it have to get

before somebody actually does something?!

Isn't this enough?! Isn't it?!

This is an emergency warning.

There is a bushfire to the west that is out of control.

Move to the beach or the wharf!

Baba! Mama!

I lost my parents and now I can't find them.

I've gotta protect my place. I can't stay with her.

We need to get a message out. You want me to help you?

A large cloud formed by the fire is cutting out the light.

Adut! Come on! It's safer in the water.

The fire's hitting houses on the outskirts of town.

I can't look after you, kid!

The fire was right at the back. We're gonna help you.

Hold on, everyone, and good luck.