NSW bushfires: James Tamou fights fire, Penrith Panthers organise fundraiser
NRL star James Tamou spent days over the Christmas break helping extended family fight to save homes from bushfires that raged on the south coast. The Penrith prop describes the tireless efforts made by entire families.
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Penrith prop James Tamou said he has seen moments of great courage playing in the NRL but it pales to the heroics and Aussie spirit and grit he witnessed while caught up in the bushfire drama for six days south of Sydney.
One of the best known players in the game, over Christmas Tamou was just one of an army of Australians battling to help fight devastating blazes across the country.
“This has touched me. Some of the people I saw were in tears, they had broken down, had nothing left,’’ Tamou said.
“Then they got up, kept fighting. I have drawn strength from it, these mums and dads, retirees.
“I gained strength from these people. They were working tirelessly to make a dent in this terrifying, frigging bushfire.’’
Panthers prop James Tamou has spent his Christmas break helping extended family protect homes around Braidwood. We'll be thinking of everyone out there as conditions deteriorate tomorrow. ðŸ™ðŸ½â¤ï¸#AustraliaBurning #pantherpride 🾠pic.twitter.com/ta10ZFOcEE
— Penrith Panthers (@PenrithPanthers) January 3, 2020
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“Christmas Day, Boxing Day, six or seven days in a row we were back and forth lending a hand,’’ he said.
“We could tell the number of firefighters was pretty thin. They were happy to have another set of hands there.
“They said get on the hose and defend the road where cars can come in and out.’’
Tamou said while his extended family’s homes were all saved he will never forget the intensity of the fire.
“There was one situation I felt powerless. We were surrounded. Flames were climbing up trees and we were doing our best to put them out,’’ he said.
“We heard a voice saying ‘ get the heck out of there’. None of us wanted to leave. It was scary.
“The smoke was just so think.’’
Tamou threw his weight behind the Panthers Firefighter Fundraiser during a special open training session at Panthers Stadium on Saturday morning.