This archive report was first published on 21 December 2019.
Published on December 21, 2019, a devastating bushfire season in Australia has left its volunteer firefighters exhausted, injured, and grieving.
At 70,000-strong, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) is the world's largest volunteer fire service, comprising doctors, farmers, factory workers, and others who risk their lives to protect their communities.
For weeks, 57-year-old firefighter Moyle and his crew have been battling a 'mega-blaze' in national park near Sydney, working in searing temperatures and thick acrid smoke.
'People are really tired,' Moyle said, describing the service as 'very stretched.' 'As you get older like me, it's hard, it's very tiring. It takes a toll on everybody here.'
Two volunteer firefighters have died, and some have had their homes destroyed while saving others' properties. Gary Stokes, a veteran firefighter, said fatigue was affecting his whole brigade.
'I was sitting having a cup of tea yesterday and a little old lady came up to me and sort of gave me a hug and I actually had tears,' he said. 'You just need people knowing what you're doing, we're just trying to do our best.'
Scientists say Australia's fire seasons are beginning earlier and burning with more ferocious intensity due to climate change. The prolonged drought has worsened fire conditions, and the season could stretch into May, piling more pressure on volunteers.
The deaths of two volunteers have highlighted the 'inherent risks' facing firefighters, according to New South Wales Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons.
