Dramatic footage from inside firetruck as crews escape bushfire in North Sydney. Video / Davidson Rural Fire Brigade
Video has emerged of Aussie firefighters making their way through the centre of one of the dozens of fires that have devastated the country and claimed at least three lives.
The video, released by the Davidson Rural Fire Brigade, shows a truck travelling through burning bushland, with flamesleaping against the vehicle and hot ash and embers blasting across the narrow track.
Surrounded by flames and burning trees, the video shows the extreme conditions the firefighters are working against.
"Some heartbreaking stories coming out of yesterday's fire activity on the Mid-North Coast," the post read.
The conditions were horrific. Photo / Facebook
"This dashcam footage from one of our trucks shows the extremely challenging fire behaviour and terrain crews were faced with, in this instance, while attempting to reach remote properties to search for people.
"The water you can see streaming down the windscreen is our 'overrun' sprays, designed to prevent the truck from catching fire itself in such situations."
The post attracted thousands of comments from around the world, with users praising the firefighters' "selfless acts of bravery".
The firefighters have been praised for their bravery. Photo / Facebook
"This made me cry," wrote another. "Thank you so much to the fire crews out there battling the blazes and rescuing trapped people."
The fires have devastated large areas of Queensland and New South Wales, with fires reaching into Sydney, leading to thousands of evacuations.
This morning brought relief for many as "catastrophic" weather conditions eased, though NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned that the state was "not over the threat yet".
Ironically, smoke from fires served as an "insulation blanket" that prevented winds from fanning fires as quickly as they might have done otherwise, said NSW Fire Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons.
