Terrifying video of CFS trucks heading through Flinders Chase bushfire inferno
Staggering footage has captured a heart-stopping trek by CFS trucks through an inferno of flame and exploding trees on Kangaroo Island.
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A CFS volunteer who shot amazing footage of firefighters escaping a raging inferno on Kangaroo Island has credited senior leaders for their survival.
Kingscote CFS brigade member Mark Harte was in a convoy of fire trucks in the Flinders Chase National Park on January 3 when they became surrounded by flames.
The five appliances had been sent into the park as part of a strike team when a huge fire sparked by lightning strikes swept past them.
Mr Harte said the crews engaged emergency procedures, including pulling down heat shields and activating sprinkler systems to protect themselves.
“We were chasing the fire in the morning and then by lunchtime we had to start running away from it,” he said.
“The first burn-over was up on Church Rd and then we had go through the fire front again to get out.
“The strike team leaders were extremely calm, cool and collected and got us out.”
Mr Harte, the head apiarist for Kangaroo Island’s biggest honey producer, is among hundreds of volunteers firefighters who have spent the past 30 days fighting two fires.
When he has not been on the firefront, he has been moving hundreds of hives to protect colonies of the rare Ligurian bee, an Italian species introduced in the 1800s.
Mr Harte said there were times during the two “burn-overs” that he became anxious but he was confident his crew would reach safety.
“You don’t dwell on it,” he said.
“You have experienced people in control and they know what they are doing.
“It could have been an extremely stressful situation but we all came through it extremely well.”
Mr Harte’s dramatic footage shows his truck driving on a narrow road while surrounded by intense flames.
Another CFS truck can be seen travelling in front and warning the crew behind them about the impending and fast-moving firefront.
“It’s getting a bit smoky and hot in here. We’re just putting some oxygen in for the driver,” the second crew is told over the two-way radio.
“Guys, you’re about to go through the front, drop your fire curtains, drop your fire curtains on the side.”
As the second crew approaches massive flames at the firefront, one of the firefighters inside the truck can be heard saying: “We’ve got no choice, we’ve got to get through this.”
The crew in front warns them: “You’re going to get hit with the front, drop your fire curtains just leave the front open, just keep following us, all good, just keep following us.”
“Drop your curtains on the side so only the driver’s front is open. You’ve got 200m to go,” the second crew is told.
The crews all made it through the firefront despite debris hitting the trucks but there was still little to no visibility.
“Keep on going guys, we’re doing a f … ing good job,” one of the firefighters can be heard reassuring his colleagues.
The Kangaroo Island fire has killed two people, destroyed more than 60 homes and burned through more than 215,000ha of land.
