An army of 72,000 people who make up the world's largest volunteer fire service is fighting wildfires that have devastated parts of Australia since September.
TOMERONG, AUSTRALIA -- The wildfire was behaving erratically last week, and Doug Schutz and his team needed to make a quick decision. So they moved a bulldozer from another job and used it to widen a firebreak. That likely helped prevent hundreds of homes from going up in flames.
The wildfires have destroyed 2,000 homes and continue to burn, threatening to flare up again as temperatures rise. Gary Creer, a volunteer firefighter for 20 years, said he was in the fortunate position of being employed by the government, which doesn't dock any pay from people who take time off to fight fires.
This week, Schutz watched on as other volunteers deliberately set alight undergrowth in the forest near Tomerong, using a mixture of diesel and gasoline. It was part of a controlled burn aimed at starving the wildfires of fuel should they approach again.
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