We are often the worst fire threat We needed no reminder of the
risks our firefighters face, but we witnessed one anyway on
Monday afternoon, just across the ACT border. A NSW Rural Fire
Service volunteer, one of the first to arrive to battle a
grassfire in Gunning, was overwhelmed as the fast-moving flames
engulfed and badly damaged his tanker. Fortunately, he survived,
though with severe burns to his hands and face. With much of
Australia now exposed to extreme heat, and thousands of
firefighters called up to contain blazes throughout the country,
it's sadly likely that more of these people – most of whom are
volunteers – will be injured in the coming days. Nonetheless,
they remain willing to brave this risk, and to be away from
their families, to protect their communities. We are indebted to
our professional and volunteer firefighters, especially in
threatening times such as these. On a dry, fire-prone continent
such as Australia, we simply could not function as a society
without them. Yet it's wrong to as