0:00:02 > 0:00:05Welcome to Australia. We're in the Blue Mountains just west of Sydney
0:00:05 > 0:00:09in New South Wales and we're here at the peak of the wildfire season.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11We've been given incredible access to one of the world's
0:00:11 > 0:00:14biggest firefighting forces at its busiest time of the year.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20'Every day, the state's 70,000 firefighters can be battling
0:00:20 > 0:00:24'more than 100 fires across an area bigger than France.'
0:00:26 > 0:00:29'We're following their operations to find out why there are so many
0:00:29 > 0:00:34'wildfires here, and why they're so hard to control.'
0:00:34 > 0:00:38- Oh, look out. Right side of the road.- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:00:38 > 0:00:41'And meeting the scientists uncovering the secrets
0:00:41 > 0:00:44'of fire behaviour to help those on the front line.'
0:00:44 > 0:00:47You'd now be feeling quite a lot of pain potentially on your skin.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51- You can't actually...- We've pretty much got two kilowatts on us now.
0:00:51 > 0:00:52Oh, wow.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56'In this first programme, we'll explore the rapid response system
0:00:56 > 0:00:58'developed to protect New South Wales.'
0:00:58 > 0:01:02There's 1,162 firefighters, 422 vehicles.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Those are people actually out...
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Yeah, absolute deployed on those fires.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11'We'll reveal the surprising way fires ignite.'
0:01:13 > 0:01:14It seemed to explode.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16'And how they spread.'
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Bits and pieces of the bark have come off
0:01:18 > 0:01:20and started a spot fire.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22So it didn't just jump the little break,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25- it jumped quite a big distance. - It did.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27'And we'll investigate the technology
0:01:27 > 0:01:30'being used to find the fires that can't be seen.'
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Amongst all the foliage there, there's patches of green,
0:01:34 > 0:01:36- and green means?- Green means heat.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39The camera shows us exactly where to go.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44'The lessons learnt in Australia are helping firefighters tackle
0:01:44 > 0:01:47'wildfires across the world.'
0:01:47 > 0:01:50So join us as we go inside the wildfire.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03To learn more about wildfires, we've come to New South Wales
0:02:03 > 0:02:05in eastern Australia.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07It's home to Sydney and beautiful beaches,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11but also stunning mountains, open grassland, and ancient forests.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Now it may all seem calm and tranquil here,
0:02:15 > 0:02:19but this is one of the most fire-prone regions on Earth.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26'Each year, from October through to March, wildfires rage across
0:02:26 > 0:02:31'this state, impacting the lives of its seven million residents.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34'New South Wales suffers some of the most intense
0:02:34 > 0:02:39'wildfires in Australia and we've arrived in January when it's summer
0:02:39 > 0:02:41'and the season is at its height.'
0:02:41 > 0:02:45'This state spans a vast 800,000 square kilometres
0:02:45 > 0:02:47'so we're splitting up to follow
0:02:47 > 0:02:49'all aspects of the operation.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55'I'm heading west to join frontline teams in fire-prone regions,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57'while Kate heads to Sydney,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59'HQ of the Rural Fire Service,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02'to meet Head of Operations Rob Rogers.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06We're getting reports it's burning...
0:03:06 > 0:03:10'I've arrived at the end of a record-breaking heat wave
0:03:10 > 0:03:13'with peak temperatures reaching as high as 45 degrees.'
0:03:13 > 0:03:15So the screens up here,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19everything that's listed in these two panels,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22are those current fires?
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Yeah. So all of the blue dots on the map represent a fire
0:03:26 > 0:03:29and an incident that is being managed.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32There's 101 bush and grass fires at the moment,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35there's 1,162 firefighters, 422 vehicles.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Those are people actually out...
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Yeah, absolute deployed on those fires.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43There's an enormous number of people that are committed just today
0:03:43 > 0:03:46on firefighting operations throughout the state.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49'To co-ordinate the action, the HQ employs 300 staff.'
0:03:49 > 0:03:53It seems to me that this is almost like a war office.
0:03:53 > 0:03:59That you're standing here looking at, kind of, battles breaking out.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03You've got all these skirmishes which are fires that are occurring.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Sometimes they evolve to a point where it's a major event
0:04:06 > 0:04:10and that becomes like a major battle, I guess, and we're sending
0:04:10 > 0:04:14a lot of resources into an area in a very short space of time,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17trying to contain something, which is very much like the military do.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21'What's surprising about the firefight in New South Wales
0:04:21 > 0:04:23'is that they're not just contending with
0:04:23 > 0:04:26'one or two big wildfires,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28'but over a hundred smaller ones too,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31'each with the potential to spread.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35'Today, the operation spans a high intensity blaze
0:04:35 > 0:04:36'in a pine plantation...
0:04:37 > 0:04:40'..a fast-moving grassland fire in the north
0:04:40 > 0:04:43'threatening the major highway connecting Brisbane and Sydney...
0:04:43 > 0:04:45'and a fire
0:04:45 > 0:04:48'twice the size of Birmingham
0:04:48 > 0:04:51'that's been slowly burning for a month in remote bushland.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55'This situation is far from unusual.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58'The Rural Fire Service has been dealing with this high level
0:04:58 > 0:05:00'of fire activity for three months.'
0:05:02 > 0:05:04We've all seen footage on the TV
0:05:04 > 0:05:07and this year in New South Wales has been particularly bad.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Back in October, we were starting to lose property,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12we were quite concerned about people's lives.
0:05:12 > 0:05:18We had firefighters from Victoria, South Australia, ACT and Queensland.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21So they all came and helped us when we were very busy,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24because we had, obviously, a lot of fire throughout the state
0:05:24 > 0:05:28and particularly in the urban areas. So we were quite stretched.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33'These so-called October fires tore through the Blue Mountains
0:05:33 > 0:05:36'just outside Sydney at the start of the season.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42'For five days, New South Wales was declared a state of emergency
0:05:42 > 0:05:46'while more than 1,300 firefighters battled the flames.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49'Despite their efforts, the fires destroyed over 200 homes
0:05:49 > 0:05:53'and did over £50 million worth of damage.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55'Amazingly, no-one died.'
0:05:55 > 0:05:59And this year, in all your experience...
0:05:59 > 0:06:01how does this year compare?
0:06:01 > 0:06:05I think you have to go back probably more than a decade,
0:06:05 > 0:06:09probably 2001-2002, we had pretty busy fire seasons then,
0:06:09 > 0:06:14and then before that, '94, where we had some pretty bad fires
0:06:14 > 0:06:15around Sydney,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19and we lost I think 400 or 500 homes in those fire seasons.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22So, probably 2001-2002.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Well, I don't envy you. It is a non-stop task.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31'One reason this fire season has been so bad is the weather.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35'2013 was the hottest year on record in Australia
0:06:35 > 0:06:38'and this year seems to be continuing the trend.'
0:06:38 > 0:06:42This map here, what's this showing us?
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Here we're seeing a forecast of the temperatures expected across
0:06:45 > 0:06:47New South Wales this afternoon.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51These darker orange colours that you can see in the north
0:06:51 > 0:06:55of the state are corresponding to temperatures over 42 degrees.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59That's obviously fairly scorching conditions up there.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02'Wildfires, or bushfires as they're known here,
0:07:02 > 0:07:06'are so dependent on weather that the Rural Fire Service
0:07:06 > 0:07:09'has its own in-house forecaster, Simon Lewis.'
0:07:09 > 0:07:13So can you explain what the correlation is, the connection,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16between weather and fires breaking out?
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Weather really is critical for determining amount of fire activity.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23The weather on any particular day can make the fire behaviour
0:07:23 > 0:07:27much worse, but there's also the long-term effect of the weather.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31Over a period of time, if we have drought conditions,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35so very dry, that acts to dry out the forests,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38the forest fuels, and also the grass fuels.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47'Wildfires, like all fires, occur when fuel combines with oxygen
0:07:47 > 0:07:51'and heat in a chemical chain reaction that gives off energy.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57'The drier the fuel, in this case the parched trees and grasses,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00'the quicker it will ignite and the more intensely it will burn.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05'With the land in New South Wales ready to flare up,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09'forecaster Simon monitors the meteorological data.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13'He's looking out for a set of weather factors
0:08:13 > 0:08:16'that will increase the chances of fires igniting,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19'and also suggest that any fires which do break out
0:08:19 > 0:08:21'will quickly spread.'
0:08:21 > 0:08:23When we're looking at fire weather,
0:08:23 > 0:08:25we're looking at three main weather ingredients.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29The first is temperature, the second is the relative humidity -
0:08:29 > 0:08:34when it's very hot and dry, that acts to dry out the fine fuels
0:08:34 > 0:08:37which increases the intensity at which the fires burn.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39The third ingredient we look for is the wind speed.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44The stronger the winds we get, the faster that pushes the fire along.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47So, why is there a sense of urgency in here today?
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Based on the forecast of temperature, wind and humidity
0:08:50 > 0:08:53for today, we've determined that the overall fire danger
0:08:53 > 0:08:57is quite high and we do have fire weather warnings current.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01'Simon's weather warning is key to fire prevention.'
0:09:02 > 0:09:04- So, you know, 36...- Easterly.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Yeah, wind strength's up a bit.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11'The Rural Fire Service enforce their highest level of precaution.'
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Just advising total fire bans for tomorrow.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16We've got southern ranges, central ranges...
0:09:16 > 0:09:18'A total fire ban is designed to prevent residents
0:09:18 > 0:09:21'from starting fires by mistake.'
0:09:21 > 0:09:25Sir, just checking you're aware of the total fire ban.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29'It's now illegal to use solid fuel barbecues or machinery
0:09:29 > 0:09:33'that could create sparks capable of igniting the dry land.'
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Thanks, sir. Bye-bye.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40'Breaking the ban could result in a hefty fine, or jail.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43'It may seem strict, but it's essential.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48'Up to 85% of all wildfires in Australia are started by people.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59'With the chance of fires so high, it's critical to spot them early.'
0:10:04 > 0:10:06I'm a little bit nervous.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12'So the Rural Fire Service mobilise a team of key personnel.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17'I've come to see one of them in action in Galston,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19'just north of Sydney.'
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- Hello, there. - Hello, welcome aboard.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35- Wow! That gets your heart racing, doesn't it, that climb?- Quite high.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40Wow, what an amazing view though.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43- Hello, I'm Kate.- Good day. Good morning. Paul's the name.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Nice to meet you, Paul. Thank you very much for inviting me up today.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51- What a spectacular place. - It's a fantastic view.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53'Paul is a fire-spotter.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55'He helped build this tower 40 years ago
0:10:55 > 0:10:58'and, ever since, has been on call to scan the horizon
0:10:58 > 0:11:00'when the danger of fire is high.'
0:11:00 > 0:11:05- What's this intriguing piece of kit? - We call it a sighting scope.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07On seeing a column of smoke,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10as we can see at the moment in the distance...
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Hang on a second, where's the smoke?
0:11:13 > 0:11:16- So... - You are eagle-eyed, aren't you?
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- Oh, yeah, there is. - So if you look through there,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21you might have to move it so you point exactly...
0:11:21 > 0:11:24So, do you want the cross actually on the smoke?
0:11:24 > 0:11:25- Yeah.- Is that what you try to do?
0:11:25 > 0:11:27- That's the origin of the smoke.- OK.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Actually, there is quite a lot of smoke, isn't there?
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Does that give you cause for concern?
0:11:32 > 0:11:35That being only a very light-coloured smoke,
0:11:35 > 0:11:39it'd be just something like a back-yard, burning pile of rubbish.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44- Right.- If that column of smoke goes to a brown colour, a light brown,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46then a dark and then into a black,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50that generally means the fire has escaped perhaps into the bush
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and that becomes what they then call a going fire.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56So you're not just spotting the smoke,
0:11:56 > 0:11:58- you're actually analysing it... - That's true.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00..and knowing from your years of experience
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- what type of fire it is.- It is, yes.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06'Paul reports every fire he spots
0:12:06 > 0:12:08'to his local Rural Fire Service station.'
0:12:08 > 0:12:11FireCom, this is Galston Tower,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14yellow, with a smoke sighting,
0:12:14 > 0:12:18and it's just a steady, rising column, over.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22'If this fire starts to spread, he'll report in again
0:12:22 > 0:12:26'and ground and aerial firefighters will be sent to put the blaze out.'
0:12:26 > 0:12:30How does it feel when you spot a fire?
0:12:30 > 0:12:32It's a good feeling.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35I guess the aim is you want to be the first one to report it
0:12:35 > 0:12:37because you're knocking it on the head straightaway
0:12:37 > 0:12:40before it can perhaps get out of control.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42You feel elated that you've done something good.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45'This is one of 50 lookout towers
0:12:45 > 0:12:47'strategically placed across
0:12:47 > 0:12:50'the state of New South Wales to protect towns and cities.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54'Paul's tower is responsible for helping to keep
0:12:54 > 0:12:56'4.5 million people safe.'
0:12:56 > 0:12:59You're not too far from Sydney here, are you?
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Distance, approximately 30km in a straight line.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05So you must play a pretty crucial role in the line of defence
0:13:05 > 0:13:08against fire hitting Sydney.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Yes, for sure, we are.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Without us here, things could happen whereby a fire starts,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17it escalates before anyone maybe from the public might pick it up,
0:13:17 > 0:13:22we report in what we've found and action is taken.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26And how realistic is it that a fire could hit Sydney?
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Very realistic.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32There has been fires north of Sydney recently.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35'For eight decades, fire-spotters like Paul
0:13:35 > 0:13:39'have played an indispensable role in feeding back crucial information
0:13:39 > 0:13:42'to the Rural Fire Service,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46'but today, modern technology is turning everyone
0:13:46 > 0:13:48'into a fire-spotter.'
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Social media has become a real tool for us
0:13:51 > 0:13:54because everyone has the ability to share intelligence.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57People these days are tweeting pictures very quickly.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00'The Twitter feed is now so important,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03'it takes up a place on the main information board.'
0:14:03 > 0:14:07This is a fire that started out on the Castlereagh Highway.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09What they have done, they have tagged us
0:14:09 > 0:14:13so at least we've been able to see that picture internally.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15We can see it hasn't crossed the road at this stage,
0:14:15 > 0:14:19it is starting to build a momentum, it is going to cause traffic delays.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Photos are brilliant because with them, sometimes,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25you can get the geo-tagging out of it so we can pop it on a map.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30'The Rural Fire Service relay this information
0:14:30 > 0:14:32'to one of 50 regional control centres
0:14:32 > 0:14:35'who deploy the nearest crews.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40'And with weather conditions perfect for fires to spread,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44'Simon is finding out why every second counts
0:14:44 > 0:14:46'in the fight against wildfires.'
0:14:53 > 0:14:57We're on our way to a fire. We're following a fire truck ahead.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00We think that there are several other fire trucks and crews
0:15:00 > 0:15:01already working on the fire
0:15:01 > 0:15:04and they're saying they may have to call in air support.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11'I'm en route to a fire that's just been reported
0:15:11 > 0:15:14'near the small town of Wattle Flat in Bathurst.'
0:15:17 > 0:15:20We can see the smoke through the trees now.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24The fire's just here. Let's see if we can stop and get close to it.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37'With the town just 5km away,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40'15 firefighters have been dispatched to protect
0:15:40 > 0:15:42'its 363 residents.'
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Are you one of the RFS guys or is it your land?
0:15:46 > 0:15:49- I told the farm at the bottom of the hill.- You warned them?
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Yeah, we rang the fire brigade
0:15:51 > 0:15:53and then we came up. Every minute counts.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55- You live how far away?- At the base.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59- You're presumably always on the alert for it.- Sure.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02- Oh, look out. Right side of the road.- Whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Watch your footing.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Just suddenly the flames erupted on this side of the road.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26There's a firefighter who's gone down the bank,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30- he's got the hose down there. - Are you all right, Alex?
0:16:30 > 0:16:34They have to throw themselves into danger to try and get the fire out.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41You can see the smoke coming off it.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Just 30 seconds, a minute ago, there was nothing going on here.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53'The firefighters here have a vested interest in saving the land.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55'They're all local volunteers.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01'They're part of a 70,000-strong volunteer force
0:17:01 > 0:17:05'spread across the state, on call throughout fire season.'
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Yeah, I've got this here now, that's good.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10All right?
0:17:10 > 0:17:13'This team is led by Andrew'
0:17:13 > 0:17:17- Hello there, sir.- Hello. - Are you a volunteer?- Yeah.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19What's your normal occupation?
0:17:19 > 0:17:22I'm a grazier round here, grazing sheep.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24- So you're on the land...- On the land.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28What's the aim of firefighting in a situation like this?
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Well, we've got to get it out before it gets too hot.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36If it gets into scrub on the other side, there's 2,500 acres of scrub.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41'Stamping out this fire before it starts to spread
0:17:41 > 0:17:43'further into the scrub is crucial.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46'A key characteristic of wildfire is its ability to move
0:17:46 > 0:17:49'and spread rapidly from its source.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53'In today's dry weather conditions, a fire like this could grow
0:17:53 > 0:17:56'to the size of two football pitches within 15 minutes.'
0:17:59 > 0:18:01We've got a chopper coming in now.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Looks like they're coming in to water-bomb.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Whoa!
0:18:10 > 0:18:12That just dropped about 20m ahead of us.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18- Bloody useful having them up there, isn't it?- It's good really.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22They have the outside
0:18:22 > 0:18:26and then the volunteers, they go and work their way in.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30'Helicopters have been dispatched by RFS HQ.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33'They dump 650 litre buckets of water
0:18:33 > 0:18:36'on the fastest moving parts of the fire,
0:18:36 > 0:18:40'while the volunteers extinguish the smouldering areas left behind.'
0:18:40 > 0:18:43It's ludicrously hot today anyway
0:18:43 > 0:18:46but this fire is putting out a huge amount of energy.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49I've seen fires before, you see them at a distance,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52but I've never been on ground that is still burning.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56It's quite a scary feeling actually.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07How much of a problem are the fires at this time of year?
0:19:07 > 0:19:08Ah, a big problem.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12This is the second one today and we had five yesterday up the road.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16'The crew believe this fire was started by a resident.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20'Fortunately, their speedy response has enabled them to suppress it
0:19:20 > 0:19:22'within 30 minutes.'
0:19:25 > 0:19:27So, the fire's under control?
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Yeah, yeah, we're on top of it now, yeah.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32- Success!- Yeah, thank you.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45'In this state, volunteer firefighting teams
0:19:45 > 0:19:48'are the first line of defence for more than a million homes
0:19:48 > 0:19:51'built in fire-prone areas like Wattle Flat.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56'Without their rapid response, it's very easy for a small fire
0:19:56 > 0:19:59'to become a dangerous threat to property and life.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05'And back at the HQ, reports are coming in
0:20:05 > 0:20:09'of a fire that highlights just how quickly this can happen.'
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Oh, the Oxley crossing. It's broken to the north, as we know,
0:20:18 > 0:20:22and is probably under threat in about an hour.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26'300 miles northwest of Sydney, a fire
0:20:26 > 0:20:27'on the Oxley Highway
0:20:27 > 0:20:30'has escaped the control of firefighters.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32'It's now heading rapidly for 12 houses
0:20:32 > 0:20:36'in the small town of Rocky Glenn.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38I'm just going to put you on a conference call.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42Do you believe, as it moves towards the properties, you can defend them?
0:20:42 > 0:20:45So this emergency warning, tell me what that actually means.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Really, what that means is to have a red fire is quite concerning
0:20:49 > 0:20:52because the amount of destruction that fire can do
0:20:52 > 0:20:55in a very short space of time, it's a matter of minutes before
0:20:55 > 0:20:57they start impacting on properties.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00'The Rural Fire Service uses a colour-coded system
0:21:00 > 0:21:03'to categorise fires in terms of their risk to life,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06'both to allocate resources and to warn the public.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10'Blue controlled fires pose no immediate danger.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13'Yellow fires indicate a higher level of threat
0:21:13 > 0:21:15'and must be monitored closely.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17'Red fires are emergency fires.'
0:21:17 > 0:21:21The question then is to say, OK, it's the highest level of warning,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23and we need to now warn that community
0:21:23 > 0:21:26and what method do we use to warn that community?
0:21:26 > 0:21:29This is a bushfire message from the RFS.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31There's a bushfire in the Rocky Glenn area.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Fire your bushfire survival plan, stay up-to-date.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39'Water-bombing aircraft and helicopters are quickly mobilised.'
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Number of aircraft inbound and then obviously they're talking
0:21:42 > 0:21:44with local police about the closure of the highway.
0:21:46 > 0:21:51'Four aircraft, 26 trucks and 75 firefighters are dispatched.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55'The town is saved,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59'but it will take 48 hours before the fire is back under control.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09'The Rural Fire Service's network of spotters and volunteers
0:22:09 > 0:22:12'help tackle the blazes that occur near communities,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15'but many fires in New South Wales
0:22:15 > 0:22:17'break out in vast tracts of wilderness.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22'The way fires start here and the kind of terrain they burn through
0:22:22 > 0:22:26'demands a different kind of firefighting strategy.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30'Simon's on his way to discover how you deal with fire
0:22:30 > 0:22:32'in a remote forest.'
0:22:34 > 0:22:37It is scorching hot here now.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40We're on the edge of the Wollemi National Park,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43we're heading into the park now
0:22:43 > 0:22:46to see another side of the firefighting operation.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53'The Wollemi is 80km northwest of Sydney...
0:22:55 > 0:22:59'..and borders the northern edge of the Blue Mountains.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05'This landscape is carpeted with 70 different species of eucalyptus tree.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10'When the temperature rises, they release vapour into the air,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13'creating a blue haze which gives the region its name.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19'They might be beautiful to look at, but eucalyptus trees
0:23:19 > 0:23:21'are among the most flammable on Earth.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26'And they're another major reason why wildfires are such a problem
0:23:26 > 0:23:28'in New South Wales.'
0:23:29 > 0:23:32It's stunning, absolutely stunning.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Great to look at, but it's bloody hard work to fight fires in,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37let me tell you.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42'David Crust, affectionately known as Crusty, should know.'
0:23:42 > 0:23:44'He's been leading a team battling wildfires
0:23:44 > 0:23:49'in this 5,000 square kilometre wilderness for 100 days straight.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56'The largest fire began five weeks ago.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01'So far it's consumed 440 square kilometres of forest.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05'It's taken 74 firefighters
0:24:05 > 0:24:08'and seven choppers to get it under control.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14'Today, teams are working to dampen down the last of the embers.'
0:24:14 > 0:24:17So the crews have been inserted...
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- See that rock shelf down the bottom there?- Right.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23We deployed them into there and then they walked up-slope from there.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27- Working away like little ants. - It must be extremely hard.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30It is, it's really challenging for the guys to get around
0:24:30 > 0:24:32and it's really hot today.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37'From up here, I get my first look at the incredible scale
0:24:37 > 0:24:39'of the destruction.'
0:24:39 > 0:24:43Down beneath us now I can see the trees have been completely
0:24:43 > 0:24:45scorched and blackened.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48The canopy looks as though it's been singed,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51but the trees and the ground has really burnt.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54It's a terrible scar.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00'Although these eucalyptus trees may look dead, in time they'll recover.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03'They've been living with wildfire for millions of years
0:25:03 > 0:25:06'and they've evolved ways to survive.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12'But around 50km away are a unique group of trees
0:25:12 > 0:25:14'for whom fire could be fatal.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17'Crusty is desperate to protect them.'
0:25:18 > 0:25:23Amazingly, in 1994, a fellow ranger, a guy called Dave Noble,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26was exploring some of the canyons around this area,
0:25:26 > 0:25:30he found a specimen, something he thought that was pretty unusual.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33He took it home, showed it to a botanist, the botanist went,
0:25:33 > 0:25:37"Whoa, how about this! This looks just like this amazing fossil record
0:25:37 > 0:25:39"from the Jurassic period,"
0:25:39 > 0:25:42and it turned out to be a new species - the Wollemi pine.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46This is the only place on Earth that the Wollemi pine occurs -
0:25:46 > 0:25:51in this particular canyon system in Wollemi National Park.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53That...that's...that's spectacular.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58'The exact location of the Wollemi pines
0:25:58 > 0:26:00'remains a closely guarded state secret.'
0:26:02 > 0:26:05- That's the Wollemi pine. - The dinosaur tree.
0:26:08 > 0:26:13'Wollemi pines have survived here for more than 200 million years.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15'They're a living relic of the Jurassic age.'
0:26:19 > 0:26:22- It's like a...a lost world down there.- It is.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31The pines actually do look rather special.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34They look different, they stand out, they look majestic,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37and they reach a hell of a height as well.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39They're big trees. They're big, majestic trees.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44There's a big tree there we call King Billy, that one there.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48King Billy. He's got a name.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52He must be up, what, 40m?
0:26:52 > 0:26:56Yeah, he's, he's about 40-44m high, so it's a big tree.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59'The pines have been preserved in a small prehistoric
0:26:59 > 0:27:02'wetland at the base of this canyon.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07'So far, it's remained untouched by wildfire, but with this being
0:27:07 > 0:27:11'the worst fire season in a decade, Crusty must be ever-watchful.'
0:27:14 > 0:27:18If you had a wildfire coming through here threatening the pines,
0:27:18 > 0:27:20what sort of damage could it do?
0:27:20 > 0:27:22I mean, presumably, it could wipe them out.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24Yeah, it's possible that it could
0:27:24 > 0:27:27result in some sort of extinction and, you know,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30we're very mindful of that, and it's really important that we
0:27:30 > 0:27:33manage fire actively to make sure that it doesn't happen.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37'Already this season, the wildfires have torched
0:27:37 > 0:27:39'700 square kilometres of the Wollemi -
0:27:39 > 0:27:42'that's an area almost twice the size of the New Forest.'
0:27:45 > 0:27:47'And in this remote place,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49'the majority was started not by humans,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52'but by a force that's much harder to control.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01'Lightning is responsible for more than two thirds of the wildfires
0:28:01 > 0:28:06'in Wollemi Park, but to find out why it's such a fearsome fire starter,
0:28:06 > 0:28:08'I need to leave the bush and head for the lab.'
0:28:15 > 0:28:20- Just so I understand, this is a lightning chamber?- Yes.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24The lightning current will rush through here, and when it reaches
0:28:24 > 0:28:29that point, it'll jump to this tree, which is our test object today.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32'Professor Manu Haddad,
0:28:32 > 0:28:34'one of the world's leading lightning scientists,
0:28:34 > 0:28:38'normally uses his equipment to test the impact of lightning
0:28:38 > 0:28:40'strikes on airplane parts...
0:28:42 > 0:28:44'..but today he's running a unique experiment.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49'It's always been accepted that lightning can set a single tree
0:28:49 > 0:28:53'on fire, but today we're going to try to discover
0:28:53 > 0:28:57'if lightning also affects the speed at which a fire can spread.'
0:28:57 > 0:29:02When a lightning strike hits a tree, it will follow a certain path
0:29:02 > 0:29:05along the tree, and this is what we're trying to replicate today.
0:29:05 > 0:29:06'As in the Wollemi,
0:29:06 > 0:29:09'the target of our lightning bolt is a eucalyptus tree
0:29:09 > 0:29:13'and, to replicate the leaf litter found on the forest floor,
0:29:13 > 0:29:16'dead leaves are scattered at its base.'
0:29:17 > 0:29:19How are we going to be able to see what happens?
0:29:19 > 0:29:22I'm presuming we're not going to be able to stand here
0:29:22 > 0:29:24- while this is going on. - No, we will go in a safe area.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27In order to monitor it, the lightning strike is happening
0:29:27 > 0:29:31in a millionth of a second, so what is called micro-seconds,
0:29:31 > 0:29:33and a normal camera wouldn't see much,
0:29:33 > 0:29:39so we use a very high speed camera, and then that way we can look
0:29:39 > 0:29:42at the frames up to a millionth of a second.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47'This kind of experiment would be impossible to do in the wild.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49'The special camera should allow us
0:29:49 > 0:29:52'to examine what happens at the moment of ignition in minute detail.'
0:29:53 > 0:29:56And what do you think is going to happen to the tree?
0:29:56 > 0:29:58We may get ignition.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10'To recreate one of nature's most powerful forces,
0:30:10 > 0:30:13'they're charging up the lightning chamber to 55,000 volts.'
0:30:13 > 0:30:15ALARM WAILS
0:30:15 > 0:30:18'When unleashed, the lightning bolt will deliver an electrical
0:30:18 > 0:30:22'charge of 30,000 amps straight to the tree.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24'For that instant, the power is equivalent
0:30:24 > 0:30:27'to the output of an entire nuclear power station.'
0:30:33 > 0:30:35Three, two, one.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39BANG
0:30:39 > 0:30:42That was incredible - it seemed to explode in there.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45'It's hard to see exactly what happened in real time,
0:30:45 > 0:30:48'but the slow-motion footage reveals all.'
0:30:48 > 0:30:50BANG
0:30:52 > 0:30:55Look at the... It erupts at the bottom!
0:30:55 > 0:30:59That's an incredible sight to see. Can we see it again?
0:30:59 > 0:31:02This is extraordinary. Talk us through what we're seeing here.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05As the lightning strike hits those trees,
0:31:05 > 0:31:07the heat actually ignited those leaves.
0:31:09 > 0:31:14'The temperature reaches more than 30,000 degrees centigrade,
0:31:14 > 0:31:16'but what this experiment reveals
0:31:16 > 0:31:18'is that it's not just heat that causes fires.'
0:31:20 > 0:31:23The lightning channel generates a big pressure wave which
0:31:23 > 0:31:26throws things away from it,
0:31:26 > 0:31:30and that fire is even ejected elsewhere,
0:31:30 > 0:31:34and it's actually like fireballs that leave on fire
0:31:34 > 0:31:37and it's just going further away from the tree.
0:31:41 > 0:31:46And if there had been dry, dead leaf material around there, as there
0:31:46 > 0:31:50would be in the natural world, this is going to start a blaze.
0:31:50 > 0:31:51Yeah.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56'This experiment clearly demonstrates that the explosive
0:31:56 > 0:32:00'force of a lightning bolt can create not only one fire, but many.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05'And this is just one bolt hitting one tree.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10'Every year, New South Wales is hit
0:32:10 > 0:32:14'by an estimated 1.5 million lightning strikes.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21'Because lightning can so easily start fires,
0:32:21 > 0:32:23'the Rural Fire Service must constantly track
0:32:23 > 0:32:26'the movement of thunderstorms across New South Wales.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30'Forecaster Simon Lewis knows that some
0:32:30 > 0:32:32'types of storms are particularly threatening.'
0:32:32 > 0:32:36Over the last few days, we've had quite a lot of thunderstorm
0:32:36 > 0:32:41activity, and with that we've seen what we call some dry lightning,
0:32:41 > 0:32:44which occurs when you have very dry air underneath them,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47and what you see is that the rain will evaporate before
0:32:47 > 0:32:48it reaches the ground.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54'Unlike normal thunderstorms, the rain in dry lightning storms
0:32:54 > 0:32:55'never reaches the flames.'
0:32:58 > 0:33:00In that situation, if you get lightning with no rain,
0:33:00 > 0:33:02then that can ignite new fires.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05So, are there any thunderstorms expected today?
0:33:05 > 0:33:08We are expecting thunderstorms to develop this afternoon,
0:33:08 > 0:33:11- just off to the east of where the hottest weather is.- Mm-hm.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13There is probably some potential for some of those to start fires
0:33:13 > 0:33:16again, so we'll be keeping a very close eye on that this afternoon.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23'It's not simply the threat of lightning the firefighters
0:33:23 > 0:33:24'need to worry about.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28'Overnight, a storm has struck at the Wollemi.'
0:33:32 > 0:33:35'Crusty now needs to find any new fires
0:33:35 > 0:33:37'started by lightning before they take hold.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41'With 5,000 square kilometres of thick eucalyptus forest,
0:33:41 > 0:33:43'that's no easy task.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50'I've returned there to see a key piece of technology
0:33:50 > 0:33:52'he uses to help him.'
0:33:53 > 0:33:56We've got a really good lightning detection system, so
0:33:56 > 0:34:00we know where the lightning occurs. We look for ignitions and fires.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04'Once the storm passes through, Crusty's team take to the skies.'
0:34:04 > 0:34:06How do you find them?
0:34:06 > 0:34:07We've got what's called a FLIR camera,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10a forward-looking infrared camera,
0:34:10 > 0:34:13that picks up heat in the infrared spectrum.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17'This infrared camera, originally designed for the military,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20'has been used to find fires in the Wollemi for nearly a decade.'
0:34:22 > 0:34:26The helicopter and the operator have flown really low and slow,
0:34:26 > 0:34:29and anything that's registered as a hot spot
0:34:29 > 0:34:31they've taken this image of.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34So we'll just bring one of these guys up.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38'Filmed from 200m above, the images reveal small fires
0:34:38 > 0:34:41'called hot spots ignited by lightning.'
0:34:41 > 0:34:44And, depending on the quality of the image,
0:34:44 > 0:34:48we can generally see what it is. There's a bit of active fire there.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51So, I can see... Well, we can see there's a lot of tree
0:34:51 > 0:34:53coverage there, and that could be...
0:34:53 > 0:34:56Absolutely, so it's looking through the trees.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58Very difficult, very difficult to look through
0:34:58 > 0:35:00- with the naked eye.- Yeah.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04But amongst all the canopy and the foliage there,
0:35:04 > 0:35:06- there's patches of green.- Yeah.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08- And green means...- Green means heat.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11'And not all this heat is from fires burning on the ground.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14'Surprisingly, some fires are actually hidden inside logs
0:35:14 > 0:35:15'or tree trunks.'
0:35:15 > 0:35:18You know, the great thing about this is that you wouldn't
0:35:18 > 0:35:20necessarily see this from the ground, you know?
0:35:20 > 0:35:24The log's burning inside - it may not be putting out smoke.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26That's fascinating, I'd never have thought of that.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29So, something that's burning away deep inside the tree...
0:35:29 > 0:35:33It may not be obvious that it's on fire, but the camera tells us
0:35:33 > 0:35:37that there's an issue there, and it shows us exactly where to go.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40'The thermal-imaging camera has identified the exact
0:35:40 > 0:35:45'locations of 12 dangerous hot spots that need to be dealt with quickly.'
0:35:45 > 0:35:48There's four crews, there's a few hot spots,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51the plan is to put the crews onto those hot spots.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54We're seeing really, really significant fire behaviour
0:35:54 > 0:35:57quite quickly - just be really careful.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00Everybody knows what they're doing, go and get your gear together,
0:36:00 > 0:36:02head out to the helipad.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05'If finding the hot spots wasn't hard enough,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08'I'm about to discover putting them out is even harder.'
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Oh, my goodness. Josh.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- Hey, mate, how are you? - Hello, mate. Hi, Michelle.- Hi.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16I think you're getting lumbered with me.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18Oh, great(!) OK.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Are you getting ready to go out? Clearly.
0:36:20 > 0:36:21Yeah, we are, we are.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23We're just packing up our kit that we take out.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Um, yeah, getting all the bits and pieces together
0:36:26 > 0:36:28- so we can head out in the bush. - And what do you take?
0:36:28 > 0:36:32An axe, some fuel. We'll take another couple of tools, but, yeah.
0:36:32 > 0:36:37- What have you got? All right, yes, that's definitely an axe.- Yep.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41Heavy one as well. Justin's coming in with a load of water.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44- Yeah.- This is, um, 4½ litres of water.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46Should easily drink that today - easily.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49- That's all for one person? - For you, yes.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51Yeah, and that all needs to go in.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56And I suppose as much as anything you're taking,
0:36:56 > 0:36:58- this is life-saving stuff. - Yeah, yeah.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01So, it hasn't rained in, well, probably a month now,
0:37:01 > 0:37:04so there's no water in the creek systems up there, so...
0:37:04 > 0:37:07- So take your own. - Take your own water.- OK.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10'Along with firefighting tools, we need to pack survival equipment
0:37:10 > 0:37:11'and rations.'
0:37:11 > 0:37:13Snacks on the go.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16'Once inserted on the ground, dense cloud or smoke could prevent
0:37:16 > 0:37:19'helicopters from returning to collect us -
0:37:19 > 0:37:21'we could be out there for days.'
0:37:21 > 0:37:25This bag must weigh about 7kg already just with the water in,
0:37:25 > 0:37:29and obviously these guys have got to take heavy machinery
0:37:29 > 0:37:33and hand tools with them as well, and then they've got to hump it
0:37:33 > 0:37:36across the ground in temperatures of up to 50 degrees centigrade.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42This is, um, this is firefighting, but not as you know it.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00'This team works for the National Park Service.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04'For six months of the year, during fire season,
0:38:04 > 0:38:06'they become airborne firefighters.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12'It's not a job for the faint-hearted.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18'The teams are winched down 20m wires carrying chainsaws
0:38:18 > 0:38:20'and rakes into the forest below.'
0:38:34 > 0:38:37'Luckily for me, we've been deployed to a hot spot close to
0:38:37 > 0:38:40'a place our helicopter can land.'
0:38:43 > 0:38:46Ah, there's a bit of smoke that's just popped up on the horizon
0:38:46 > 0:38:49- over there. - It's quite faint on the, um...
0:38:49 > 0:38:52Well, maybe a few hundred metres out. Shall we head over there?
0:38:52 > 0:38:54- Yeah, you lead, Shelly.- Roger.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01'The tree we're targeting is only 500m away,
0:39:01 > 0:39:04'but in these conditions it feels like miles.'
0:39:10 > 0:39:14It's scorching hot, and this terrain,
0:39:14 > 0:39:18my goodness, it is tough to move around in.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22I actually find it a little bit frightening, it's overwhelming,
0:39:22 > 0:39:25because if there was a fire coming through here,
0:39:25 > 0:39:27when you're not in this,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30in this sort of terrain, you think, "Oh, you just run from it,"
0:39:30 > 0:39:34but you cannot run through this, you cannot move quickly through it.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47'It takes one and a half hours to reach our goal.'
0:39:49 > 0:39:50Oh, there, there's smoke just here.
0:39:50 > 0:39:55Yeah, so we've got a, a tree that's obviously caught on fire,
0:39:55 > 0:39:56that's still burning up high.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00'Lightning doesn't only ignite a tree's leaves,
0:40:00 > 0:40:01'it can also ignite its trunk.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06'And because eucalyptus is a slow-burning fuel,
0:40:06 > 0:40:09'it's possible a fire like this could lurk burning in the belly
0:40:09 > 0:40:12'of the tree for as long as three months.'
0:40:15 > 0:40:18So, the fire's burning from the top down?
0:40:18 > 0:40:21From the top down, like a candle.
0:40:21 > 0:40:22That's incredible.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25And the liquid that's coming out is the sap of the tree?
0:40:25 > 0:40:28The sap of the tree, the life of the tree.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30It's like blood, the blood of the tree.
0:40:30 > 0:40:31Yeah, looks like the blood.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34You feel sorry for cutting down the big ones, I reckon -
0:40:34 > 0:40:36they've taken years to grow and...
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Hmm. Your job is to protect them, not chop them down.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43Well, I might cut down one, but I might save another 10,000.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Actually, when it's on the ground like this,
0:40:56 > 0:40:58you really do see it smoking away.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03'Immediately, the fire escapes the tree
0:41:03 > 0:41:07'and ignites the dead leaves, known as leaf litter, on the forest floor.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10'I can see what could've happened if the tree had been left,
0:41:10 > 0:41:12'and why it's so important to put it out.'
0:41:15 > 0:41:16Or if you just get your rake
0:41:16 > 0:41:19in there and spread that stuff apart, just helps the water
0:41:19 > 0:41:23to get down into it, cool it off a bit quicker, separate it all.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25This is the mat we use, just to make it a bit easier
0:41:25 > 0:41:28for the helicopters to, um, see our target.
0:41:29 > 0:41:30Rake it out?
0:41:30 > 0:41:33Yeah, but don't rake it onto those dried leaves,
0:41:33 > 0:41:35because then...cause a bushfire!
0:41:36 > 0:41:39Wouldn't want that. So just rake it down?
0:41:39 > 0:41:40Yeah.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Looks pretty good, I'll get onto the helicopter and see
0:41:43 > 0:41:46if we can get a bucket dropped on this and cool it down a bit more.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50'To assist with the remote firefighting effort, Crusty
0:41:50 > 0:41:53'has set up a temporary airbase on the outskirts of the park.
0:41:53 > 0:41:58'Here, a refuelling tanker supplies a squadron of five helicopters.
0:42:03 > 0:42:08'They scoop up water from creeks and billabongs before flying to join us.'
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Yeah, that's over, Mark, we're ready for a bucket now.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25Copy, mate, I'll call you in.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27They're coming in now with a bucket of water,
0:42:27 > 0:42:28we need to get out of the way.
0:42:30 > 0:42:31Yeah, mate, one o'clock.
0:42:34 > 0:42:35It's right above.
0:42:45 > 0:42:46That looks spot-on.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56Hit the entire area, blanketed it, covered it in water.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59Do I need to get out of the way now?
0:42:59 > 0:43:01He's going to hit us again two times, so...
0:43:01 > 0:43:04- It really needs that much to make sure it's completely out?- Yeah.
0:43:05 > 0:43:06There it goes!
0:43:11 > 0:43:12Good shot.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14Are you happy with that?
0:43:14 > 0:43:17We'll give it a rake, and then we'll probably get a couple more on it.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20- A couple more?!- Yeah, come and look how much heat's in it still.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22Still smoking.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28So, see, there's still flame coming out there.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31That's... It's... It is amazing!
0:43:31 > 0:43:34You just dropped a huge quantity of water.
0:43:34 > 0:43:38Probably about 1,600 litres just went down onto it then, but all
0:43:38 > 0:43:42this sort of timber protects that from getting doused so, you know?
0:43:42 > 0:43:44- Of course it does, of course it does.- Yeah.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47I should help you, rather than just watching.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49It's only sort of late in the afternoon that this stuff
0:43:49 > 0:43:52- pops up as well.- Why's that?
0:43:52 > 0:43:54Well, the temperature comes up,
0:43:54 > 0:43:58the humidity comes down, so when you get the balance right
0:43:58 > 0:44:01between the two, it ignites the bush again.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04So what we might do is stand it up, try
0:44:04 > 0:44:06- and get the water down into that.- OK.
0:44:08 > 0:44:09Beautiful.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12Anything like this has the potential to spark it up
0:44:12 > 0:44:15- and keep it going, so these are the really important things.- OK.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19So, yeah, we'll call them in again and, um, yeah, go from there.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26Go ahead, Mark, another bucket in the same spot would be great.
0:44:26 > 0:44:30You've got another chopper coming in now with another bucket.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33I think what I find particularly surprising about this is the...
0:44:33 > 0:44:40the sheer effort that is required to control and extinguish these blazes.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46Look, this isn't... This isn't the inferno, it really isn't,
0:44:46 > 0:44:49but it can become one very quickly
0:44:49 > 0:44:55if they don't pay attention to every small bit of burn that's happening.
0:45:04 > 0:45:06Is the fire out in the... in the trunk?
0:45:09 > 0:45:12Yeah, I think we're pretty safe to leave that one now.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15I sense that you love it.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19We do, we do. We rely on each other and, yeah, it's good.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41I feel utterly drained, and we try to keep drinking enough water,
0:45:41 > 0:45:45but the sweat just keeps pouring out of us.
0:45:46 > 0:45:50I'm left with a completely new understanding of what it takes
0:45:50 > 0:45:55to fight a fire in a wilderness area like this. The bravery
0:45:55 > 0:45:59and dedication of these teams is... It's quite something, it really is.
0:46:00 > 0:46:04'The fact that it takes two water-bucketing helicopters,
0:46:04 > 0:46:07'a transport chopper and three firefighters to extinguish
0:46:07 > 0:46:11'a small hot spot within a single tree trunk indicates just
0:46:11 > 0:46:15'what a formidable fire fuel eucalyptus is.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19'But firefighters know their efforts are vital, because if a blaze
0:46:19 > 0:46:23'does take hold in eucalyptus forest, there's something unique
0:46:23 > 0:46:27'about the way it spreads that can make it incredibly hard to control.'
0:46:31 > 0:46:35- Wow. - Welcome to the CSIRO Pyrotron, Kate.
0:46:35 > 0:46:36It's amazing, isn't it?
0:46:37 > 0:46:40'This is the Pyrotron. It's a combustion wind tunnel,
0:46:40 > 0:46:44'and, at 25m long, one of the biggest in the world.'
0:46:45 > 0:46:48It is like something out of a sci-fi movie.
0:46:48 > 0:46:52'It's based in Canberra, where Doctor Andrew Sullivan studies how
0:46:52 > 0:46:56'wildfires behave by experimenting with different fuel types.'
0:46:57 > 0:47:01Fires have been burning in Australia for millions of years.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05- Yeah.- Um, what we are developing is better ways of measuring
0:47:05 > 0:47:07and observing these fires.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12- So, is this the fuel down here? - This is the fuel down here.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15'Today, he's staging an innovative experiment to analyse
0:47:15 > 0:47:17'the nature of burning eucalyptus.'
0:47:20 > 0:47:23You see, you're much more random than me. OK, so just chuck it...
0:47:23 > 0:47:26- Once you put it in, you can then spread it round.- OK.
0:47:26 > 0:47:30'We're replicating a eucalyptus forest in miniature.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32'At the base, we scatter leaf litter -
0:47:32 > 0:47:35'dead, dry leaves that can collect for years on the forest floor.'
0:47:35 > 0:47:38- Kate, can you pass me that one, please?- I can.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40Excellent, thank you.
0:47:40 > 0:47:41'Next, we add a tree trunk
0:47:41 > 0:47:45'and fashion a road which should stop the fire in its tracks.'
0:47:45 > 0:47:49What we've got is a typical eucalypt tree trunk that's covered
0:47:49 > 0:47:52with a fairly fibrous bark, as you can see.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55'The Pyrotron is rigged with temperature probes
0:47:55 > 0:47:58'and heat-proof, slow-mo and thermal-imaging cameras
0:47:58 > 0:48:01'capable of capturing what's invisible to the naked eye.'
0:48:04 > 0:48:06Have you done this before in the Pyrotron?
0:48:06 > 0:48:08- No.- You haven't? - No, no, this is the first time.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10OK, well, let's get it going.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12'Andrew ignites a line of leaf litter
0:48:12 > 0:48:14'to create the head of the wildfire.'
0:48:23 > 0:48:25Right, fan on.
0:48:25 > 0:48:26Lights off.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32The fuel condition that we've got, the...the wind speed that we've got,
0:48:32 > 0:48:36is all pretty much like what you'd find in the bush.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38All the flames are now leaning over un-burnt fuel
0:48:38 > 0:48:41and that's accelerating the speed of the fire.
0:48:41 > 0:48:45'A fan replicates the effects of a 12km/hr wind,
0:48:45 > 0:48:48'bringing oxygen to the fire and propelling it forward.'
0:48:50 > 0:48:53What's interesting is that
0:48:53 > 0:48:55it doesn't burn at a sort of consistent rate.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59And that's a property of the fuel in which we're burning.
0:49:00 > 0:49:04'The slow-motion cameras capture the precise way the fire spreads
0:49:04 > 0:49:06'through this leaf litter.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09'When the temperature reaches 300 degrees centigrade
0:49:09 > 0:49:13'the leaves break down, expelling a volatile gas which ignites,
0:49:13 > 0:49:15'drawing the flames onwards.'
0:49:19 > 0:49:23It appears the longer that it's burnt that actually it seems
0:49:23 > 0:49:26to be speeding up or is... is that just me making that up?
0:49:26 > 0:49:29What's happened is now we've got, a full width of fire that's
0:49:29 > 0:49:32burning, and the whole width of the fire is now contributing heat
0:49:32 > 0:49:35to un-burnt fuel and that's increasing its speed.
0:49:35 > 0:49:39'The fire gains momentum as the preheated, un-burnt leaves ahead
0:49:39 > 0:49:42'ignite more quickly.
0:49:42 > 0:49:46'As the line of flames passes through, the thermal-imaging camera
0:49:46 > 0:49:50'reveals the threat behind is far from over.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53'The leaf litter in its wake continues to smoulder,
0:49:53 > 0:49:56'and like the fire inside the tree at the Wollemi, each of these
0:49:56 > 0:50:00'slow-burning hot spots is capable of reigniting into flame.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05'But it's another type of fire behaviour that makes
0:50:05 > 0:50:09'eucalyptus wildfires so difficult to manage.'
0:50:09 > 0:50:12The fire has ignited that, that fibrous bark
0:50:12 > 0:50:14and has burnt around it,
0:50:14 > 0:50:17and bits and pieces of the bark have come off,
0:50:17 > 0:50:21crossed over our break and has started a spot fire
0:50:21 > 0:50:26that is now developing as a new fire, independent of this fire.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29Didn't just jump the little break, it jumped quite a big distance.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31It did.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33'This is a process known as spotting.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37'Eucalyptus is native to Australia, and having lived with wildfire
0:50:37 > 0:50:42'for millions of years, it's evolved ways to survive the flames.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45'When the tree's bark ignites, it quickly strips away
0:50:45 > 0:50:48'so that flames cannot reach the core of the tree.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51'These strips of bark become burning embers
0:50:51 > 0:50:54'with temperatures up to 800 degrees centigrade.'
0:50:55 > 0:50:57- That was incredible.- It was.
0:50:57 > 0:51:01And this is the nature of fire in dry eucalypt forests
0:51:01 > 0:51:03with the stringy barks.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05They spot so prodigiously.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07Once the fire gets up and running
0:51:07 > 0:51:10and the ignition of those tree trunks happens,
0:51:10 > 0:51:12it's very difficult to do anything about them.
0:51:12 > 0:51:13I can see why now.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15We had one spot fire take off,
0:51:15 > 0:51:18under really dry conditions any of those embers could've started
0:51:18 > 0:51:22new fires and you would've had dozens of new fires start.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26'Eucalyptus makes up 79% of Australian forests
0:51:26 > 0:51:29'and it's the unpredictable way that eucalyptus fires spread
0:51:29 > 0:51:31'that make them such a challenge.'
0:51:31 > 0:51:34Standing here and looking at that...
0:51:35 > 0:51:39..you realise what a terrifying foe
0:51:39 > 0:51:41the firefighters are up against,
0:51:41 > 0:51:44cos I'm slightly thinking, when you hear the news reports
0:51:44 > 0:51:46which we've been hearing ever since we've been here,
0:51:46 > 0:51:49of fires being out of control, you slightly think,
0:51:49 > 0:51:50"What are you guys doing?
0:51:50 > 0:51:54"You know, about fire, how are they getting out of control?"
0:51:54 > 0:51:57You see this, it's terribly obvious how quickly it can.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07It's very, very sobering.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14'In the real world it's not just one tree producing
0:52:14 > 0:52:18'a handful of embers, it's a forest of trees creating a storm of them.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31'While the conditions in New South Wales start to cool,
0:52:31 > 0:52:32'I'm in Winmalee,
0:52:32 > 0:52:35'a town on the outskirts of a eucalyptus forest
0:52:35 > 0:52:36'just north of Sydney.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40'I'm meeting a couple who survived an ember storm
0:52:40 > 0:52:42'during the October fires.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46'They have astonishing evidence of why embers are such a threat
0:52:46 > 0:52:48'to property and lives.'
0:52:48 > 0:52:51Well it's only three months later...
0:52:52 > 0:52:57..and, er, driving around here, all you see is just these kind of
0:52:57 > 0:53:03devastated plots of land which were clearly once people's homes.
0:53:03 > 0:53:07I mean, I'm just stunned by the level of devastation.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11'Glen and Carol Blackman have lived on this street
0:53:11 > 0:53:14'for five and a half years.'
0:53:14 > 0:53:17What was it like that day? Was it an incredibly hot day?
0:53:17 > 0:53:20Oh, it... We'd had three months of incredible dryness, no rain,
0:53:20 > 0:53:22and it was 40 degrees.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25It was just... It was a fire in waiting.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28I was inside and Glen come rushing home and said,
0:53:28 > 0:53:31"Look, there's a fire and it's coming, start getting prepared."
0:53:33 > 0:53:37'The couple's eight home security cameras captured a unique record of
0:53:37 > 0:53:40'a huge ember storm striking their house.'
0:53:50 > 0:53:51And all of a sudden
0:53:51 > 0:53:53Glen said, "Oh, my God, it's here,"
0:53:53 > 0:53:57and the whole wall of fire, maybe a kilometre wide,
0:53:57 > 0:54:0030, 40ft high, just came straight for us.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02It just come like a blowtorch.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19The embers are hitting the house by this stage
0:54:19 > 0:54:22and I'm saying to Glen, "Come inside, you're going to burn, come inside!"
0:54:22 > 0:54:25I'm screaming at him, he's saying, "I'll be all right."
0:54:25 > 0:54:28'Glen started trying to extinguish the embers with a hose,
0:54:28 > 0:54:31'but was soon forced inside.
0:54:38 > 0:54:42'Ember attack is the biggest cause of house-loss in a bushfire.
0:54:43 > 0:54:48'These tiny, superheated particles are capable of entering property
0:54:48 > 0:54:51'through gaps in roofs, open windows, or air vents.'
0:54:51 > 0:54:53We're all checking in the roof,
0:54:53 > 0:54:55checking around the doors for embers getting inside.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57So, you're not just huddled on the floor?
0:54:57 > 0:55:01Oh, no, we had wet mops and we were going into the roof
0:55:01 > 0:55:04and putting embers out that were coming through the roof,
0:55:04 > 0:55:06and you're thinking all the time,
0:55:06 > 0:55:11"Is it on fire? Is it on fire?" And you go into overdrive.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14Your heart's thumping, the fire alarms are whistling,
0:55:14 > 0:55:18you're not really concentrating, it's what you can do to stay alive.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25Was there any point during it that you thought
0:55:25 > 0:55:27"We're just not going to make it?"
0:55:27 > 0:55:30There was one stage where the smoke was down to
0:55:30 > 0:55:32about two foot off the ground
0:55:32 > 0:55:36and I couldn't breathe, and I got my text...my phone,
0:55:36 > 0:55:38and I was texting my children,
0:55:38 > 0:55:41"I love yous all, and be good to each other."
0:55:42 > 0:55:45'Even after the fire had passed over their house
0:55:45 > 0:55:48'the embers continued to do incredible damage.'
0:55:48 > 0:55:51It was just like a warzone,
0:55:51 > 0:55:52all our sheds were on fire,
0:55:52 > 0:55:54Glen's truck's on fire, everything was on fire.
0:55:54 > 0:55:56Everything that could burn was burning.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01'The fires destroyed over 200 homes,
0:56:01 > 0:56:05'but the Blackmans' bravery and persistence meant
0:56:05 > 0:56:07'they managed to save theirs.'
0:56:10 > 0:56:14If another fire hit this area, how are you going to feel?
0:56:14 > 0:56:16It's not IF it ever happens again, it's WHEN.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19At the end of the day, it's the luck of the draw.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22We could've lost our home just as easy as our neighbours.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24CHAINSAW BUZZES IN DISTANCE
0:56:29 > 0:56:33It's just impossible to imagine
0:56:33 > 0:56:36what it would be like to stand here
0:56:36 > 0:56:39as a wall of unstoppable flame
0:56:39 > 0:56:43comes racing towards you, your home,
0:56:43 > 0:56:47your property, your little piece of what you think of as your safe land.
0:56:47 > 0:56:51And it comes up here, and look how close it is to the house,
0:56:51 > 0:56:54and it swept up that lawn and over the house.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59They were so sort of sanguine about it, but...
0:57:02 > 0:57:04..just that sheer force must've been terrifying.
0:57:04 > 0:57:09And, yet, listen, all around us there's the sounds of chainsaws,
0:57:09 > 0:57:14of diggers, this is a community that is regrouping, rebuilding.
0:57:14 > 0:57:18They're not going to be beaten by nature. They're starting again.
0:57:32 > 0:57:33We've witnessed the terrifying power
0:57:33 > 0:57:36and the unpredictable nature of wildfires,
0:57:36 > 0:57:39and the huge challenges facing people trying to contain them.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42Next time, we'll see how cutting edge science has been
0:57:42 > 0:57:44deployed in the battle against fire.
0:57:44 > 0:57:46So, you're able to predict
0:57:46 > 0:57:50what I would think of as being unpredictable, a wildfire?
0:57:50 > 0:57:54Fires aren't unpredictable, fires still follow the laws of science.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57SIREN WAILS
0:57:57 > 0:58:01'We'll reveal the causes of the biggest and most extreme fires.'
0:58:01 > 0:58:03By drawing air in just through those gaps,
0:58:03 > 0:58:07that causes the rotating motion that spins up to a high velocity.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10'We'll discover the science behind fighting fire with fire...'
0:58:10 > 0:58:12Between 20 and 30 seconds gives them
0:58:12 > 0:58:13plenty of time to clear the helicopter
0:58:13 > 0:58:16and actually be on the ground when they catch on fire.
0:58:16 > 0:58:18I can see how they're effective.
0:58:18 > 0:58:20'And we'll learn about the innovations needed
0:58:20 > 0:58:22'to keep firefighters safe.'
0:58:22 > 0:58:25- We can already smell a little bit... - Oh, look, and actually,
0:58:25 > 0:58:28- it's starting to smoke. - It's slightly...- What is smoking?