Fireflies (2004): Season 1, Episode 1 - Fireflies: Part 1 - full transcript
♪ I have to pinch myself to feel ♪
♪ if what is going on is real ♪
♪ from the gods themselves we steal ♪
♪ night and day ♪
♪ night and day ♪
♪ a jug of wine a loaf
of bread and thee ♪
♪ lying on a blanket underneath
that big old spreading tree ♪
♪ such a beautiful feeling ♪
♪ such a beautiful feeling ♪
- Smoke?
- Hello, Perry luscombe.
- Hi dar, it's me.
I was gonna come into
town but there's a smoke.
- What, a fire?
- No, it's just
smoke, I can't see any fire.
But the smell is strong and
it's coming directly at us.
- Well can you see any
source of the smoke?
- Well it could be the
other side of lost river.
Could be somewhere in
Jeff Burke's place.
The wind's blowing directly at us.
- Is there anyone you can call?
- Well, we've only been
here for two weeks,
we hardly know anybody, there's Susan.
- I don't know, the craft shop, iga?
- I'm not calling
the supermarket for help!
- Darling, if it gets close
just, get in the car and go.
- How fast does
a bush fire travel?
- Well it depends on the
winds, I don't know.
Look, I'd cancel the meeting but
Bob's put off the first
day of his holiday
and I arranged the damn meeting so.
Hey you could call 000,
they can reassure you.
- I'm not gonna call 000
for bloody reassurance!
- Look, I've got a patient.
- Can I interrupt?
- Yeah, yeah of course
you can interrupt.
- I will, Perry?
Anything precious you want me to save?
- Well the new house.
- How am I supposed to...
- it's a joke lill, a joke.
Look stay calm, evacuate if necessary.
- Okay, love.
Bye.
- Is this bloody air
con broken down again?
- Yeah.
- I've been doing the cash flow.
- Svettie.
The radio's coming, we
can trade out of this.
- Every month it's worse
than the last one!
We've gotta make some decision, backa.
- Okay.
It's gonna have to wait, baby.
I gotta get two crews out.
- We're bleeding money!
- I've gotta go!
What, you want the whole bloody
town to burn down around us?
- Lost river pc, we have a
000 call for a grass fire
at 1447 kurrungulla road.
It's reported as being
fairly extensive.
Lost river pc, are you there?
- Yeah, I'll be there asap, Bryce.
- Copy that, fire com here.
- Backa, it's Fifi, I'm
driving into town right now.
- Roger.
- Joey here, your
bag's on the boot hill.
- Thanks, Joey.
You got the radios?
- Got everything, mate.
- You in?
- Yeah.
- What do I gotta do to
get a second crew up?
Hey, what about Gemma, Fifi?
- High school now, don't
worry, we'll get them.
- Fire com, lost river
one blue responding.
Crew of four, oic, Tim Burke.
Are you there Ali?
- Ali here, backa.
I'm fully outta action man,
my kids been vomiting.
Only tan and Al are doing okay.
- Lost river one, if you're
having trouble getting a crew?
- Yeah we are rolling all right,
we're just getting a
second crew together now.
I'm looking for pal and don argew.
Dave, any actives around?
Come on.
- Patto here, backa.
Don argew's gone to fox cove mate,
should be on his long board by now.
- I'll call him on his mobile.
- Dave called me, said he should
be an hour on the outside.
- Are you in, patto?
- I'll be about half an hour.
I've gotta finish this job first.
I can bring the cat seven out.
- Yeah good on you, thanks for that.
Listen we're two short and
there's no akleys on tap,
I'll call if it's just a
camp fire, all right?
- Copy that, backa.
♪ Passed over ♪
♪ he passed over ♪
♪ passed over passed over ♪
♪ he passed over ♪
- Fire com, lost river one blue.
- Go ahead.
- Fire's a couple of acres,
winds northwesterly.
- Hey.
- There's substantial scrub and gully
but it's upwind so it
shouldn't be a problem.
We've got an owner with a ute
and they've brought it in
a dangerous situation,
close to the fire front.
Just dealing with him now.
- Copy that, backa.
- G'day.
- Backa!
- Stewart, you're downwind
of the fire front,
using gear that's bloody useless,
and we know what else
you've been using it for,
weed sprayer.
- I keep me gear well clean, mate!
- Yeah well you're endangering
yourself, and us.
- Oh well that fire'll burn itself
after the time with you
standing here anyway.
- Stewart it's spotting already.
Have you been burning off?
- You've gotta be kidding!
There's restrictions isn't there?
- Yeah, that's right.
Okay, I want you back over, upwind.
Close to one of our trucks,
or off the fire ground completely,
and I'll talk to you when
I get back to the pub.
- My land, back.
- My fire ground, Stewart.
And if you want, I'll call the
cops and get you removed?
But if you cooperate today,
I still need your help.
What's up over the Ridge there?
- Which Ridge?
- This Ridge.
- What Ridge?
- This bloody Ridge!
- Larry, we got another line of 38 out.
- Joey, what're we
doing in the back burns?
- Yeah patto, backa says
we're gonna put in a line
down the backside of the
hill, out the back there.
- I didn't light those fires!
- Look you got the fuel, he's
got the fuel in his truck!
- That's in case I gotta
back burn, you idiot!
- Hold there, Noel, why don't
you just go up to your place.
- All right, but I'm trying
to reach in and wreck this.
- Global nine
this is fire com, go ahead.
- My fire breaks are well maintained!
- I know they are, mate.
- I bet you lit that fire
yourself just so you
could bring the brigade
and get me in strife! - Stewart!
Noel, go home!
Stewart, separate!
- Shit!
Stay calm.
Evacuate if necessary.
Perry?
- Hello, this
is Perry luscombe,
fox cove district health service.
I'm not here at the moment, so
please speak after the tone.
- Shit!
I broke the phone.
I'm calling on the mobile,
but the signal's terrible.
I've got the car, I've got
water in case I get trapped.
I might go back in the house,
but that's wrong isn't it?
Now look I'm really
worried about the chilts.
God this isn't fair!
I can't leave the chilts,
I'm not gonna leave them.
Oh someone's here, thank god!
Okay you're probably on your way.
I'll be sitting in the car.
Or on the road.
I'm on the mobile!
Jeff!
Jeff?
Jeff Burke, isn't it?
- I got a package to you, lill.
It was delivered to me by mistake.
- I've been worried about the fire.
- Oh yeah, the fire.
- Do you know where it is?
- Yeah it's about 20 ks
up that way, kurrungulla.
- No where near here?
- Yeah, kurrungulla, on
the other side of town.
- Way up there, right.
- Now the firies are taking care of it.
They're expecting a rough season.
- I know, the drought's been terrible.
- You're calling your
place hungry hill?
- Not officially.
Is that okay?
- Well that's the name of my place.
Now you've got the top of the Ridge,
you're in the hungry hill locality.
But the property name's mine.
- Right, okay, sorry.
- Okay.
- Thanks for that.
- G'day.
- Bye.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- Hello?
- Hello.
- Ah, I know you, lill?
Yeah, yeah you've got that
weekender up where, right?
- We're not weekenders anymore.
We just moved up permanently.
- Oh, well good on ya.
- You're Tim from the
craft shop, aren't you?
- Yep.
- Didn't know you in the uniform.
So how's it going?
- Oh well you know we're
just mopping up now.
- Beautiful.
- Yeah.
Some people say that.
- Hey backa, you wanna take the isuzu
and I can stay look after them?
- Okay, thanks mate.
- That was a good bit of back burning.
- Yeah, yeah.
Oh, lill, this is my brother, Joey.
He got the looks, and the brains.
Lill lives up hungry hill,
right next to you and
uncle Jeff's place.
- Oh yeah, up around the 90 there.
- Howdy, neighbor.
- Hey.
- Are you curious or you
just couldn't sleep?
- Something like that.
- We were just heading
back up to the station,
and we'll have a beer and a
chat you know just calm down.
You're welcome to join us, if you want.
- Okay.
- Hey backa!
Fresh crew's just arrived.
♪ A long time ♪
♪ I should be there in no time at all ♪
- Patto?
- Yeah?
- Did you clean the chainsaw?
- Hey!
Lill, you made it!
- Hey.
- Do you wanna have a beer?
- Ta, thanks.
- Come in, meet the rest
of the losties crew.
You've already met Joey. - Yep.
- Backa's making the introductions!
- Oh yeah, that's patto.
Why use one expression when none'll do?
He's second in charge.
- Yeah, when it suits ya!
- Now the real good-looking
one, that's eris.
He's a lead in this year's musical,
they write it themselves,
what's it called this year?
- Hello Wally.
It's lill, is it?
- Hi, eris.
- Yeah.
- Oh, and this is happy, Larry.
- Yep.
- Happy as.
- Oh and the real plain chick,
she's a miss showville 2002.
- Bloody never!
Hey. - Hi.
- Yeah she never ran it
'cause she couldn't bear
to come sing to anyone.
- I didn't catch your name?
- Oh she doesn't have a name.
- Fifi.
- Lill, I've met you at the iga.
- Yeah, you're the ricotta lady.
- Yeah lill lives up hungry drive,
you know that really steep hill?
- Yeah.
- I'm glad there's
women in the brigade.
- Oh there's
not, Fifi's a bloke.
- Yeah, backa's the only
chick in the outfit, lil.
- Yeah lill, you write
children's stories, don't you?
- I illustrate mostly, yeah.
- All right.
- Oh that's good, 'cause
backa can't read.
- Nice!
- Mwah.
- I thought your name was Tim?
- Yeah but he's real
name's Burke, backa.
- Burke, back of Burke, thank you!
- But the most important members
of this team are of course,
mitty, the candor.
Suzie the isuzu I think you
already met on the way in.
Mine is the old girl, the bedford.
She's parked out the back.
- So lill, feel safer now
that you've got the losties
crew here to protect you?
- Yes!
Yes, I do.
Hey, darling.
No I'm at the fire station
in town having a beer.
- Hey Joey.
- Yeah?
- Go and get a leaflet, all right?
Here you go, lill.
- Oh, shouldn't you be going
home to your beautiful wife?
- Eh, no rush.
You find a lot of things beautiful, eh?
So, what are you interested in?
- What do you mean?
- Well, if you're worried about fire,
you should join up!
Or your husband.
- I am worried about fire.
- Oh that is very sensible.
- Yeah well we're just
trying to grab you first,
see if you can sing, they're
gonna want you in the musical.
If you can grow veggies, it'll
be the lost river show.
If you can ride, it'll be the rodeo.
There's a preschool group,
rotary, cwa, land care.
- It's just I don't know...
- no, no pressure.
I'm not gonna drag you
kicking and screaming, just.
We're all volunteers.
Cheers.
- I could hear you were scared,
but I honestly thought you should just
hop in the car, and go.
- And let everything burn up?
- Yeah.
- I'll call 000 next time.
Next time.
- We said we'd give it a year.
- I said two.
God whoever said this
was a simple life?
The wind's changed, you can
see it's a long way away now.
Look at that view.
- Remember about yesterday morning?
The mist was rising up from the valley?
- It was horrible.
- Awful.
- Our kids will probably
get lost in that mist
on the way home from school,
and get transported to a
place a lot like heaven.
Oh look, fireflies.
- So, you drive 25 ks
to look at a fire?
- Analyze me not.
- What's that smell on you?
- I had a beer with the firies.
- No, it's something else.
Smoke.
- Are we still open?
- Too tired to talk now.
- There was a bloody fire.
- There's always a bloody fire.
And a bloody beer when you're finished.
- I've got a big couple of
days coming up svettie,
but after that I promise you...
- after what?
After the big fire there'll
be a big fundraiser?
And then the big training,
and a big something else.
And every month there is a
big mortgage payment due,
and uncle Jeff is our guarantor.
- If we can just string
our creditors along.
- I put it up again.
- I didn't get killed tonight.
- Yeah.
- We ran a good fire, you'd
of been proud of me.
- Yeah, good night.
- Night, sweetheart.
- Can't keep away, Fifi?
What?
- I'm pregnant.
Aphrodisiac, is it?
- You know I love you.
- Yeah, I should bloody hope so.
- Do you want to marry me?
- No, I'm busy at the moment.
- Heya Fifi.
- Hey.
Who is that?
- Hey where was the fire?
- Up kurrungulla way.
- Oh.
- You know Stewart Mactavish
and Noel McKinley?
- Yeah.
- Hey mum.
- Hey, you got a light, fif?
- Yeah.
- I reckon Stewart was
burning off without a permit
and he's blaming Noel.
And they both reckon it's gonna
burn itself out at the top,
it's a classic.
- They sound like idiots!
- We coulda used you, bro.
- Yeah, there's
some chicken in the fridge.
- No I'm rat shit.
Where's dad?
- I think he went to bed.
Couldn't wait up no longer.
- Who is that?
Give us a drag.
It's my last drag, ever.
It's warm, eh?
- You pregnant?
- Shit mum, are you psychic?
- What'd Joey say?
- He asked me to marry him.
Well I said no.
I don't think he knows what
he'd be getting himself into.
Hey, Kieran!
I know that you and noodle
have just discovered sex,
but can you please keep
it down after 2 A.M.?
Ugh.
- Boo!
Get up Carter, you're
late for school, mate.
- It's Saturday, Carter.
- Dad!
- The rural
fire service commissioner
has warned that the state
is facing the possibility
of another severe bush fire season.
- Hey bek.
- Thank you.
- Hi, doll.
- Hey backa.
- Hey keiran, that your new bike?
Patto told me about it.
- Hey, 250 cc racing bike, mate.
- Meaner than a $3 haircut.
- Hey backs.
You get him a two stroke
bike and he's 17, da?
- You're gonna be careful,
aren't ya Kieran?
- Careful?
Bullshit!
- Kieran you want a blt?
- Hey babe.
- Got a custom electrical
work, sharpie?
- Mate, you don't wanna know.
- Putting in the switch so you
can disconnect the brake lights.
- And why would I do that?
- Well I don't know, sharpie.
Why don't you tell me?
- Why don't you ask that
lovely wife of yours?
- Eh?
- So how're you doing?
- Oh yeah, you know.
You're okay.
- You need money?
I could always try the dodgey brothers.
You just gotta put your
firstborn up as collateral.
- Yeah.
No, we're sweet, mate.
- Fair enough.
- What are we gonna do?
- I don't know.
- I'll see ya, mate.
- If you don't want to get
married, well we could,
we could move in together.
- What, you, me,
uncle Jeff, and the baby?
Or what you can move in
with me and my family
that you love so much?
- Well around hallelujah there's
a couple of houses, right.
We could do one of them up,
we could make the rent.
- I only just found out I'm having it.
- Well it is 'cause you
need time to think?
- No I've got time to think, Joey!
All right, I'm gonna
see yous at training.
- Okay.
- Fifi's looking bloody good lately.
- Yeah, she always looks good, backa.
- Speaking of Noel, eh.
- Looking out
for his biodiversity.
- Bloody smokers.
Full of white end.
Burn forever.
- Candy, darling?
This is where the hemp wear is going.
- But what about the toys,
the kids love the toys!
- Yeah.
They come here and stare
at them every day.
Now they can finally own them
when we put them on sale.
Okay I've got a minute, busy now?
All right.
No one in fox cove sells the stuff.
We can have an exclusive agency,
and sell them to other shops.
- The clothes we've got aren't selling.
- Because every shop sells
jeans and Aaron Williams.
This is different.
- Candy, go and watch TV, will you?
Uncle Jeff's not made of money.
- I'll ask him.
- Candy, go and watch TV, I said, now.
Mum and I wanna talk.
- Off you go, darling.
- Why would he throw more money at us?
You know we won't just
lose the shop, svettie.
- Yeah.
Uncle Jeff wouldn't like having
a bankrupt in his family.
- Fifi's pregnant.
I overheard her and Joey talking.
- Well, good ole Jeff
won't be very happy.
- What's that got to do with it?
- Nothing.
- It's looking
impossibly picturesque.
- I've been admiring
your impossibly
picturesque new muscles.
Not bad for an old fella.
- That's the country air for you!
- I've invited Tim Burke
and his family to dinner tonight.
- I moved out here to be a hermit.
- Come on, they're nice people.
- I meet nice people every day at work.
What about you, haven't
you got work to do?
- Later.
- You go for your nice, air
conditioned drive, then.
- G'day!
- Whoa!
- Hello, lill.
- Oh, she's here!
G'day, lill!
- Hey lill!
- Told you she'd come!
- Hi, isn't it hot?
- Oh we can fix that!
Do you wanna get wet?
We're one short for a
five man fog attack.
Here you go.
See if that fits.
Come on guys!
Ready, lost river crew!
Okay, water on.
Ready?
Lill?
- Yep?
- Know what you're doing?
Ready?
One, two.
Ready, one, two.
Ready, one, two!
Ready, one, two!
Ready, one, two!
Hold it there!
♪ And it hurts ♪
♪ I was taught by experts ♪
- Okay, we got our flame off!
Too easy!
Okay, no wait, lill, lill, lill!
Come here, come on in, we
gotta out yet, you nom!
Geez, she's gone for a runner!
You all right?
Yeah everyone all right?
Take a step back please,
lill, step back, Joey.
All goes one, two.
Okay lost river crew,
here we go, walking out.
Ready, one, two!
Ready, one, two, stop giggling!
Ready, one, two!
Water off.
Well done!
Well done!
Good work!
Where were you going?
Were you going for a cup of tea?
Well, the flame's this big!
- Hey uncle Jeff.
- Backa.
How's that fire?
- Oh yeah, you know.
It wasn't that bed.
Once we separated Stewart
Mactavish and Noel mckinnley.
- Noel and Stewart used
to be mates, did you know?
- No, god what happened to them?
- Oh things change.
It's quiet in here today.
- Oh it usually is in the afternoon.
You should try on some pants.
- I don't need new pants.
- These are hemp, they're very cooling.
- I was happy to look at the books.
- I've explained it but
the computer crashed.
- Did you explain that
things, they're tight?
- You've been turning
the shop upside down again?
- Well no, svettie's
got this good idea.
- A good idea?
Good management is what you need.
You oughta apply your captaincy skills
to running the business.
Now Joey, he'd make a go of the shop.
Reliable, good head for figures.
- Yeah, yeah, Joey's solid.
Yeah, Joey's real reliable.
- Yeah.
With all his responsibilities,
now that Fifi sharp's pregnant.
- How pregnant?
- Oh we don't know.
It's early days yet.
- Oh no, it's way beyond that.
I reckon you oughta order torulosa
pines for the wind break.
Do it through the shop, get
yourself some dollars.
- Yeah Joey wanted Amelia white cedars.
- Amelias are wind hazard.
- Yeah but torulosa's not a
native and Joey wanted...
- torulosa says, "I live here."
Order the pines.
Might even pay my tab tomorrow.
- You didn't ask him.
- God!
I don't...
- I had to tell him about Fifi.
I'm glad I did.
- How can you be?
- Because at the center, is the family.
- Jeff Burke, you old buggar.
- I won't have Joey trapped
by you and your people.
Get rid of it.
- Well I say this for you,
Jeff, you speak your mind.
But if I want to have an abortion,
I'll have one and if I want
to have a baby, I'll have it.
Okay?
- I know your reputation, Fifi sharp.
You're not in Joey's class.
- I'll quit.
- What, quit working for uncle Jeff?
- Yeah, yeah I'll do some fencing,
I'll go up north, I'll make some money.
- Such a boy scout.
- What do you mean?
- Well everything is
black and white to you.
- Well I don't know, Fifi!
- Do you know what you
said to me one day?
You once said to me, "that land,
"I am gonna own that land for dad."
And that was Jeff Burke's
land that you were
talking about when you said...
- yeah I know which land
you're talking about, but
I must've been 15 then.
- Well you were a boy scout then
and you're a boy scout now.
- You don't wanna get married,
you don't wanna move in together,
I don't reckon you know what you want!
- Well who says that I
don't wanna get married?
- Look at this!
How long did this take you?
- All this work and detail!
- Oh, couple of years of weekends.
It's moving in a bit quicker
now that we've moved in here.
- See this?
This is gonna be the
view from the nursery.
- What?
- The water tank.
- Oh, right!
- I want to infect my kids
with images of rustic beauty.
- Well you have to
clear all that rubbish
out from underneath!
- Where are those kids?
- In our gonads for the time being.
Perry's got a couple of his own.
- They live with their mother.
- And you want more?
- Yeah!
Get it right this time.
So how would a fire start then?
- Oh we're in
the lightning belt.
Lightning starts more than
half the fires around here.
- I've never heard of a lightning belt,
we've been coming here for two years!
- No?
- Oh, dear.
I get nervous around lightning.
- Well no worry, you'll
never get struck twice.
- So where would a
fire come from backa?
You're scaring us!
- Oh that way, across the hill.
Or from there if it's a westerly.
God it comes up that gully,
it's gonna come up quick.
- So when do we run?
- I mean, don't get me wrong,
the place is defendable!
Especially if we get the cat-1 here.
- Backa never runs from anything.
Except me.
- They think you're joking.
- You're a psychiatrist, Perry?
- A psychologist.
I specialize in torture and trauma.
- Hey Jeff Burke, he's
backa's uncle isn't he?
- Mmm.
- Because I was down in the gully,
and there's this little
plantation on his land.
- That's not Jeff's, that's mine.
Hey!
Let's go and have a drink!
- So what happened then?
- Well, the dairy went down.
And then the bloody lost river farmers.
- There you go.
- Held out too long, thanks.
Oh I missed out on
beef when it was gold.
And then the powder
cutting works closed.
There was 30 of us, made redundant.
And we've been in drought
since, oh you know.
I mean look how dry it is back there.
Then the akleys upped
stakes after 140 years here
and moved to toowoomba.
With a whole lot of em,
including eight firies.
- Darling, stop bamboozling
them with your local knowledge.
- Backa?
- No, I'm all right, thanks mate.
- Oh.
- So when will I pass for a local?
- The day your grandfather gets
buried in a local cemetery.
- No, no!
That's not true!
God local is as local does.
I mean the point is, as long as...
- please, everybody's broke!
- Perry's phone.
- Svettie, please!
- Honey?
- Hello?
- Don't be asking.
- No you wanna ask them to
join your fire brigade.
- What, what?
- Well so what, we need members!
- All right, yeah.
- They don't the fire brigade
to take over their whole life.
- No.
No, you know, I can't just come down
at the drop of every
adolescent, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, all right.
- The first wife.
Total cow.
- Okay, put her on.
- So you know I wanna do my bit,
I wanna be a lostie one day.
- No, no, no, no, no.
I wanna belong.
- No, it's not your mother.
- Yeah?
Turning up's half the job.
- What's the other half?
- Knowing what to do
when you get there.
- Yeah right, just calm down.
I have to go back to Sydney.
I don't know what else to do.
Right now I've got a
couple of days off,
I should be making my bricks.
- Is this a weeping 17-year-old?
- Yeah, more or less.
- Please, sir.
- Yes, love.
- We live here now.
Our home is here.
The view is here, the
fresh air is here,
our guests are here. - I know that.
- I am here!
- Darling I know, I know.
Just wait until your second marriage.
You'll understand.
Kay, what have I missed?
- You're right, babe.
We mightn't make it to the rodeo.
- Don't talk about it.
To our missing souls.
- It's not that bad.
- Told Jeff about Fifi.
- You did it.
- You wanted me to.
Husband, are you going
to save the world
if you can't save your marriage?
I miss getting drunk with you.
- I don't know if I like
drinking with you anymore.
- I'm going out, to
drink with me mates.
- It's midnight.
- It's all sky!
Sky, how can there be
so many pieces of sky!
- Hey svettie.
Come in, we're just opening
some new home brew.
Come on.
- No.
- No hangover.
- All right.
- Sky, sky.
Sky.
I just visited our plot.
I was wondering if you made
an executive decision.
- What?
- The wire was cut.
Every plant was pulled.
- What!
- You didn't tell me!
- I'm telling you now.
- No!
- Was it backa or was it uncle Jeff?
- We can replant.
We'll just have to find a safer place.
That's right, isn't it, sharpie?
- If you can raise the capital.
- You have to ask him.
- Svettie, I will.
When I think he's ready,
at the end of the month.
Don't worry.
God, it'd be a miracle
if he said yes, anyway.
Coming to bed?
- Not for a while.
- It is a beautiful spot.
You oughta put in a dam, Joey.
- I know you talked to her.
- Sharps got greedy little
eyes and quick hands.
- Yeah, you hate them.
- I got every bloody right to.
People always break my heart.
He marries that blood-sucking,
Russian, bottomless pit,
and you, you pretend
she isn't one of them.
- Fifi's not typical.
- Wouldn't seem typical to you.
- Don't talk to my fiance
the way you did, all right?
- Oh, so you're engaged now?
- Well I love her!
And you can stay outta my business!
- Hey fif.
- Hi.
Hey.
- I was thinking I should open
a dry cleaner's or something.
I don't know.
Become a professional surfer or...
- Or a boy scout leader.
- Yeah.
- Bye bye land.
- No, it's gotta leave it to someone.
Yeah?
- Yeah.
I don't know, he loves that land, Fifi.
So do I.
- That's what I mean.
- What are you doing?
- I know what you want.
- What, what are you saying?
Are you saying you want,
you're saying I just want sex?
I want love, darling.
- I'm never gonna be easy.
The day I make it easy
for you, I'll be dead.
- I know all that.
- And is that what you
think you're in love with?
- Hello?
- Hey lill, it's backa.
Listen you know how
you said last night,
you wanted to belong?
- Hello!
Sorry I'm late, lill.
Peg, isn't it?
- It's at the school of arts.
- Right.
Oh, isn't it hot!
We started going for drives
because we don't have air
conditioning, we live in a shed!
- Up from the city?
- Yeah we've had a weekender
for a couple years,
just moved up for good.
- Most be a relief to get away
from those asians, the crime.
- I have good friends who are Asian.
- You'd have to while
you were living there.
- No, they're pretty good friends.
We live up hungry hill.
- I never go up that way.
- We're gonna plant a
whole lotta trees,
fill in some frost blocks.
Very beautiful.
- A farm isn't a big
yard to muck around in.
- Fasten seat belts.
So peg, what time shall I pick you up?
- Come on.
- Sorry?
- I don't want to be waiting
around here for hours.
Show us your colors, Mrs. yengill.
- Oh I thought I'd go
to the fire station.
- Don't be ridiculous!
- Morning.
- Morning, peg.
Oh hello!
You must be lilly yengill.
- Lill.
- I'm meena Roberts, we're
just about to start.
- I'm not sure that
me and the cwa are...
- not sure you're a good fit?
Well,
don't ask what the country
women's association
can do for you but what
you can do for it.
Everyone, this is lill yengill.
She's not joining us, she's
only here because...
- Because peg wouldn't let me flee.
- Okay, let's get started.
On the agenda, our treasurer's sick.
Now she's only gonna be off
for a couple of months but
I'm looking for somebody to
take her place in the interim.
Any takers?
It's an easy job.
Lill, you'd be perfect.
We'll talk about it later.
Okay, let's start.
Up we get ladies, come on.
♪ Australians all let us rejoice ♪
♪ for we are young and free ♪
♪ with golden soil and
wealth for toil ♪
- Oh I don't know.
One minute I'm fighting mad old peg,
and next minute they're
trying to make me treasurer!
God Perry, I had a
speech planned for you,
"wait you have to work for
the community you want,
"it's as simple as that."
Then all this happens and
paradise starts to look like
Dante's inferno and the
goddamn fireflies are back
and the sunset's gorgeous.
The tank stand's gorgeous,
and I'm terrified I'm gonna
end up hating it here.
I've done no work all day.
And all I need is a good hug
and some free analysis.
What possessed up to move to
the fire and lightning belt?
- We need to rely on you guys.
- Mate we are still fighting fires!
- Now what if every
time you get a call,
I send a backup crew
from fox cove or Weir?
- Weir has a bloody cocking's
brigade for start,
I mean they've only got one real truck.
- Well they always
manage to get it out.
- Well it's your decision Bryce.
Joey, we were just
discussing pregnant women
going out and fighting fires.
- I prefer them to go on
light duties, myself.
- Yeah remember sue Willoughby?
She only stopped 'cause she couldn't
get in and out of the cab!
- Wouldn't be odd these days.
Who's the lucky girl?
- Oh, it's just a
hypothetical question.
- Hey Joey.
Joey, mate, wait up.
- How'd you find out?
- I overheard you.
- Yeah I was wondering
who told uncle Jeff.
- I'm sorry mate, you
know it just come out.
- Yeah well I should knock
your bloody head off!
- Yeah.
- I quit today.
- Yeah, I know.
- I've gotta go around
and finish digging
some bloody hole you started.
Joey?
Joey.
The deal, it stands, yeah?
When he goes, we split it.
We split it.
- When the right way gone mate,
he's not gonna split it
with either one of us.
- Probably outlive both of us.
You gonna move in with her?
- Oh geez mate, if I knew.
She is being most bloody confusing.
- I reckon if stop trying to
pretend we like each other
right now we might get on better, eh?
- Oh.
What if there's a fire?
When are you going to ask him?
- Shut up.
- You can be so damn Russian sometimes.
- This is a test brought to
you by your two children!
- Today you're running the shop.
I'm taking the day off.
- So, why isn't my
nephew showing me this?
- He thinks we come
can trade out of it.
Spends all his time down
at the fire station.
- Well that station keeps him standing.
Brings in customers.
- But if we had to sell,
we might have to leave the district.
- Oh perhaps he has another reason
for spending all his time down there.
Escape the wife?
Your trouble is you don't
have a good head for figures,
not like me.
I'll give you a demonstration.
Now your family's where, Toronto?
Is that where they migrated to?
Well a one way economy air
ticket to Canada is $1,750.
And if you want some luggage?
A nice set of luggage,
$1,200, that's $2,950.
Train fare to Sydney,
and you want some
presents for your family.
At $100 each, let's say.
How many in your family, six?
That's $3,664, plus 1,000 for
sundries when you're there.
I've got a figure of $4,664.
What do you think of my arithmetic?
- A bit quiet here without Joey.
You'll be very lonely.
- That bloody idiot!
- Okay now, I think.
Is that one on,
oh no I've just got that
back to front I think.
Oh, excuse me.
My wife will look after you
now, it's that's all right.
- Don't go!
- I've got to.
Call you later. - No!
- Sorry.
- Hey backa, quick word?
- Yeah.
- Backa!
- One second, patto.
Sorry mate.
- Fifi.
- What?
- This is about Fifi being,
about Fifi being pregnant.
And Bryce reckons pregnant women
aren't supposed to go in.
- Yeah, but sue Willoughby used to.
- Yeah, look, I mean it's
Fifi's decision but yeah.
- Backs.
- One second eris.
- Watch your back!
- Yep.
- I've gotta advise
against it, you know.
And I can't go either man,
I've still got a couple
of pints of booze in me.
- That never stopped you before.
- Yeah I know, but I've
been strictly legal
since I've been captain.
- I'll be all right
in a couple of hours.
- But I'm right now.
- Oh no no, you've got the Bob.
- I got the Bob?
You make it sound like
I've got the clap.
Look I can stay.
- Could you?
- Yeah.
- Great, okay well Reggie
can take the can up.
And as soon as we get him,
we'll send him straight over.
Joey?
Congratulations, mate.
- Okay, that's great mate.
Thanks, I'll speak to you later.
Okay, bye.
- Nothing we can't handle mate.
- The owners Noel and Stewart
are currently cooperating.
- Joy, yeah hey it's
Fifi, is Gary about?
Yeah that's the one,
up kurrungulla way.
Ta.
- Do you reckon he might
need the old girl?
- You tell Fifi to stay put!
- I heard that!
- No, we're virtually mopping up, mate.
- Okay, copy that.
- Hey look, we've got a full crew.
And we've got a relief crew
for tomorrow, if it's needed.
And I'm just waiting on Gary
and then I'm gonna go home.
- Okay, thanks darling.
Hey happy?
- Yeah man?
- Can you get the old bedford ready?
- Done.
- Just in case?
You know you confused the
shit out of him, don't you?
He's a good bloke, Joey,
he's good enough.
- Here you go, girls.
Come on.
On your boob job.
On your boob job.
Come on late, then.
Come on.
- I hate this!
It's bullshit, I should be
out there fighting fires!
- Yeah, I know.
- Joey's a good bloke, mum.
- Across
the state this afternoon,
we're expecting fierce
electrical storms.
- Yeah, he is.
- Whisper, whisper, whisper.
- What were you having a dip at man
for with Jeff Burke about
the other day, Fifi?
- Nothing.
He thinks he's in a Shakespeare play.
- Yeah?
Knowing Jeff Burke,
it'd be Richard III.
- Sending it straight
over my head, darling.
- That's why I still give
you the time of day!
- Candy darling, I had to
go out, I'm sorry, baby.
- You want a jaffa?
- No, darling.
- This is lost river one.
Eris and I have just
jacked the truck up,
and we're stuck down in
the gully for a bit.
We've got a bloody shredded
tire at the moment.
It's gonna take a while to clear it.
- Okay mate,
if you need a hand,
they're skirting the fire out now.
- Oh no mate, we're all right.
We've got everything under control.
- Copy that.
- Lost river one, this is Fifi,
I'm bringing welfare in.
- Yeah, copy that, thanks Fifi.
Hey fif, we got two spot fires,
and one of them's burning
out of our vision.
You might just wanna check on that
as you come down the track.
- Shit!
- No copy that,
if you could stand by for a moment.
Bryce?
We've got another report of a fire,
this time a lightning
strike down at hungry hill.
- Lost river pc, we have a 000 call
for a new fire up at hungry hill.
- Come on Kieran!
- Bye!
- Where is it?
- Lill yengill's place.
- What, that panicky chick?
- Yeah that's right,
uncle Jeff confirmed it.
- Kieran!
- Yeah?
- Be careful!
- Yes, mum.
- Bek?
Can you pop in on svettie for me later?
You know she's just,
she's a bit on edge.
It's just gonna be a
late one, that's all.
- Yeah.
- No mate, there's no
sign of wind change here.
We're changing the tires, mate.
- Lost river one,
copy that, fire com's here.
- How is it, sharpie?
- Hard to say.
Are you taking the old girl out?
- Well now she's fought a
lot of fires that bedford,
she'll be sweet.
- Come on backa, let's go!
- Shift over, Kieran!
All right Larry, turn it over!
- Bye.
- Good girl, good girl, off we go!
Good girl, all right.
No!
Tim Burke's coming!
Hang on a minute!
Look, yeah.
No, he said the house was
defendable, hang on.
All right.
Sorry?
I think you better come home.
- Lost river one!
We've got a big bit of scrub burning
- are you all right?
- Out of your vision!
- Fifi, I thought you
were going to stay put?
- You're in very grave danger!
- Fifi stay where you are!
- Joey, you dickhead, you're
stuck between two fires!
Get off the radio!
- Get in the truck mate, we're trapped.
Get the bloody farmers!
- Stewart! Noel!
- Fire com, this is lost river one,
emergency, emergency, emergency!
- Stewart, get in the truck!
- Fifi, just take it nice and slow.
- Noel, get in!
- Fire com, we're about to
be impacted on by fire,
we're taking shelter in
the truck, do you copy?
- Copy that, lost river one.
- That wind's
really bloody whipped up
a fire storm, Bryce.
We're taking shelter now.
Eris, get in!
- We're coming!
It's coming this way!
Come on Noel, get out there!
- Come on get in guys, hurry up!
- There's blankets under
your seat, get under them.
- Get your windows up!
Stay under the blankets until
we get the all clear okay!
- Joey, come on!
- Come on mate!
- Everybody stay down!
- Fifi, water.
- Take this.
- Lost river one, are you there?
Lost river one, are you there?
Lost river one, please respond.
Lost river one, this is
fire com, please respond.
- Bek?
- Lost river one?
Lost river one, do you copy?
Lost river seven?
- Fire com, lost river seven.
- Lost river seven,
can you see what's happening?
- Fire com from lost river seven,
I'm not sure, it's real smoky.
- Okay patto, we're
gonna need sid ramp.
- Fire com, this
is backa, we're 10 minutes
from the other fire, and
you please keep us posted?
- Copy that,
can someone give me a
visual as soon as possible?
Lost river one, are you there?
Lost river one, are you there?
Any visual, patto?
- The fire's
right on top of them.
- Okay fellas listen to me.
Pull these down over your faces.
When the fire hits, it's
gonna get hotter than hell
under here, then get
under the blankets.
Stewart, put your balaclava on!
- They're trapped,
there's no way out.
They're bloody trapped.
- Bek!
- Cover up Joey!
Take your watches and stuff off people,
they're gonna melt.
It's gonna get hard to breathe in here!
- Patto why don't you just
tell me what's happening down there?
- It's a burn over!
- Bek!
- Yeah, I've gotta
go see svettie, doll.
- Lost river
seven, I'm gonna need you
as soon as you can get there.
- It's a burn over!
Fifi's in the truck!
- Where is that bloody rain?
Lost river seven,
we you have support and
backup coming your way.
I've check on everything now,
the police should be with
you in a few minutes.
- Copy that.
- G'day.
Fire com, lost river two.
I'm at hungry hill, the fire is moving
directly up the gully towards us.
We're gonna need back up appliances
and road blocks as quick as possible,
do you copy that?
- Copy that, backa.
- Kieran, drop that.
Clear all that furniture off the deck.
- Got it!
- Hey happy!
- Yep?
- It's spotting over this side, too.
- Backa, is it safe to drive in?
- Jeff, come on come on,
yeah you can come all
the way up the drive.
It's steep,
it's coming up fast!
We can save this place, come on.
- Okay backa.
- I've put the chilts in the house,
I had one hose sprinkling
on the new house,
but the electricity's gone off, so.
I've hooked up the pump.
- Okay, which house is the priority?
- This one, but Perry's been
working that for two years, so.
- Well, we'll try and
save both of them.
Out and round the back!
Hey now, we're not doing
anything heroic, okay?
If it gets too dangerous, we
just piss off in the bedford.
Now you know how to start your pump?
- Yeah, I've practiced.
- Good, well keep drinking.
Start your pump.
- Larry!
I need that 38...
- should I back burn at my place?
- No, no no no, mate,
we've gotta stay here.
We've got two houses to defend.
Later on we'll look at it, okay?
- Can they get out,
can you get near them?
- There's no way
out, they're trapped.
- Oh, me hand!
- Fire com, lost river two.
Yeah I want full details
of what's going on
with the lost river one crew.
- There's no one answering, backa.
Lost river one, can you copy?
Lost river one, please copy!
- I think it's going!
I think it's passed on!
- Get under blanket mate,
we gotta stay put!
- No, if the wind screen
blows, we're all gonna cook!
We have to go now!
- Lost river seven, what's happening?
Any sign of life?
- Negative, not a chance.
- Come on, let's go!
- Wait, there's somebody
out, there's somebody out.
I can see two, three, Fifi's out.
Joey, they're all out, they're all out.
- Can you help me
with him Stewart please?
- Ow!
- All right!
All right!
Hold on, hold on!
- Fire com, lost river two.
We're definitely gonna
need that pumper up here.
We're definitely gonna
need the pumper up here.
- Yeah fire
com, fox cove one,
we're about five minutes
from hungry hill.
- That's it, secure it!
Over here mate. - Got it.
- Fire com, this is lost river two.
We've lost a structure here,
the fire is very thick, very fast.
Hang on.
Lill, lill!
Lill!
Lill!
- Don't need you, I got it!
- Lill, I'm making a judgment call.
I want you in the fire truck, okay?
- I wanna help!
- Yeah, that would be the best help!
Come on!
- Lost river
captain, this is fox cove one.
Backa, we're at the
top of the driveway.
- Yeah fox cove, we're at
the top, Western side,
you be able to to see us!
Come up to the end of the track!
Fork left!
- You better come there?
- No, negative.
It's a bit more serious than that.
- Copy that.
- Hey, happy!
Just draw back closer to
the bedford will you?
- All right.
- And I need another line out!
- Yeah backa, I can do that!
- Good on ya, mate!
- I'll just get that frame covered!
- Go, go, go!
- This is atwood one,
we got road blocks coming into play.
The fire's bear road, but we
trying to contain at this end.
What about air drop?
- Copy that atwood one.
Heli tag 226 will be with us shortly.
- Fire com, lost river two.
Yeah we've got the
pumper from fox cove,
but we still need that
Weir crew, please.
- Copy that, backa.
- Keep drinking!
- Weir
seven isn't far away.
- Fire com, lost river two.
What's happening down
there, do you copy?
- They're all
okay, they're all safe.
Including your brother,
the ambos are with them.
- Oh!
Good news.
How are you, Cameron?
Good to see ya! - Okay, backa!
What do you want?
- I need at least a
couple of lines of 38
out on this side, we haven't
got anything that side.
- No worries.
- All right mate, I'll
see ya at the front here.
- Fox cove,
fire com heli tag 226,
I need.
- Heli tag
226, we require a drop
on the northern side of the fire.
With reference 216329.
- That's my place up there.
My wife's there.
- Got the owner here, how's his wife?
- She's okay, no vehicles!
- You okay, dad?
- Yeah.
- The Weir crew should be
coming up the drive any minute.
- Yeah copy that, go go go!
Yeah, yeah!
Bring it up, bring it all the way in!
Western side, you should
be able to see us!
Come up to the end of the track!
Fork left.
Kieran!
Yeah get us another load of us.
- Got it.
- That's chilt shed, let it burn!
Just keep it there,
we're passing through!
Let's get round the back of the house,
we can save this house!
- Don't worry mate,
you were just in the
wrong place, that's all.
- Hey Bryce, I need call
luisa, my phone melted.
Thanks, man.
- What happens now?
- An investigator's coming from region.
The trauma guys are on the way.
- Come on.
Oh she's not there.
I gotta call, just someone.
- You want me to try Cleo's?
- Okay.
- Cleo?
It's eris Parsons.
I need...
- Cleo?
Hey it's Fifi sharp, yeah.
Have you seen luisa Parsons?
Eris just wants her to know
that he's safe and sound.
Can you tell her that?
Okay, thanks dove.
Bye.
- Mum?
Yeah.
I'm okay.
Listen, eris is looking for
luisa and he can't find her,
and he just wants her to
know that he's all right.
- Okay, you tell him I'll find her.
It's okay, I'll find her,
I'll let her know, okay?
But what about you sweetie,
are you all right?
- Yep, we're all okay.
Noel McKinley's the worst,
we're all a bit shaky.
- Yeah of course you are.
Look I'm gonna put your
dad on, he's been upset.
- Yeah, put him on.
- Hello?
- Dad?
- Oh darling!
- Hey, dad!
- Don't do that to me!
- Hey!
- I was sitting in the truck and,
I mean I was sitting.
And I heard it on the radio and.
- Hey.
- Oh it's terrible!
- Hey dad, stop crying, I'm okay.
No I'm fine, dad stop crying okay?
You're gonna make me cry.
- I need you to take a
few deep breaths for me, okay?
- They're checking me over,
I'll call you back, okay?
- All right, I love you.
- Yeah, I love you too, bye.
- Two years work.
Up in bloody smoke.
- Do you want some water, Larry?
- Thanks, mate.
- Sorry, Perry.
At least we saved your home.
- Saved the water tank.
- Yeah, the fire never got there.
- I've got a picture of it somewhere.
- Good.
- You always lived in the area, peg?
- I was born in lost river,
ten foot inside the shire limits.
Never lived anywhere else!
- Gee.
- You're from Sydney, Perry?
- Oh, all over really.
Lill and I have lived many places.
- Big change for us.
- Did you cope with that heat?
- Well that really hot
day we had last weekend,
we just got in the car, and we drove.
Soaked up the air conditioning.
- Wasn't as hot!
Are you on the power?
- Oh yes, we have power.
- Yeah, yeah, I know.
I know the numbers aren't crash hot.
- You could consider selling.
- No, no.
Me and svettie, we want
to make a go of it.
- I'll bet she does.
Are you asking me for money, backa?
- Yep.
- Just so happens I
brought my checkbook.
- I usually stay till nine.
- Eris.
- Hey backs.
- Should stayed in the
shed and washed my hair.
- Well you can't run tank water.
- Yeah you can.
- Backa.
- On you, mate.
Hey, I'm really glad you could make it!
- I'm going into the bushes
to send some messages.
- Sounds exciting.
- My daughter, taz.
- Oh, I got one too.
Pretty low key tonight,
as you can imagine.
Come in, come in.
- I can't believe how
many cakes and slices
we've been sent over the last few days!
I'm getting fat!
Hello meena!
- Hello!
- We got half a pig from peg beacher.
- No!
- Yeah we had to get one of those
chest freezers to put it in.
- Oh well you're putting down roots.
- Except we have to
decide whether it's worth
staying in lost river.
Two years and all.
- Oh you're kidding, come on!
I mean what and miss
out on all of this!
You know and there's lovely fireflies,
and now you've got a fire
bank around your house,
and half a pig!
- Yeah.
- Well we're just waiting
things out, backa.
We can see the advantages.
- We certainly can.
- Is svettie here?
- Yeah no, she's having a migraine.
- Shame.
- Yeah, I'm gonna make
a bit of a speech.
Evening everyone.
Welcome to Friday firies.
We have a bit of a tradition
here in lost river,
Friday nights someone gets
up and gives us a song.
Tonight it was gonna be eris Parsons,
well it's still gonna be eris Parsons,
but it's been a pretty difficult week,
for him and for a lot
of people here so,
well just, you know make
him feel welcome, eh?
Eris?
- Yeah, mate.
- Good on ya!
- Maybes I'll try not to
put too much of a hole
in your chalk revel time here.
I used to hear this song
a lot when I was a kid.
You know grandad used to sing it to me.
♪ Oh land of my father ♪
♪ oh land of my love ♪
♪ dear mother of minstrels
who kindle and move ♪
♪ and hero on hero who
at honor's proud call ♪
♪ for freedom ♪
♪ their lifeblood let fall ♪
♪ and long as the sea
your bulwark shall be ♪
♪ to cymru my heart shall be true ♪
♪ oh land of the mountains ♪
- Don't you wanna marry me anymore?
- No.
Convince me.
You're too much hard work.
I better go.
- It's early, oi!
Oi.
Are you going somewhere?
- Yeah.
I'm gonna stay in a campsie tonight,
and I'll run up to toowoomba tomorrow.
Kenny Akley's got some
work on up there.
- Oh my god.
- Yeah.
- See ya, Fifi.
- How long for?
- Dunno mate.
♪ As long as the sea
your bulwark shall be ♪
♪ to cymru my heart shall be true ♪
♪ sweet cymru my heart shall be true ♪
- Did you ask him?
- It doesn't all hang on that, does it?
Oh that's a good job.
That'd go up real quick.
- Looks like you'll
survive another fire.
- I asked uncle Jeff for the money.
He wouldn't give us it all
but he gave us a few grand,
a stop gap.
It means the mortgage is
coming next month but,
He wants to be more involved.
- I'm sorry.
Is that the check?
- Oh yeah.
It's a funny number.
"Where there's life, there's
hope," my dad said.
Just before the cancer got him.
♪ We're chasing ♪
♪ a beautiful rainbow ♪
♪ our story ♪
♪ hasn't been told ♪
♪ it takes rain ♪
♪ to make a rainbow ♪
♪ takes a sun dying ♪
♪ to turn the world gold ♪
♪ the days run ♪
♪ outside my window ♪
♪ like wild horses ♪
♪ across the plains ♪
♪ fireflies ♪
♪ dance in the shadows ♪
♪ love don't shine steady ♪
♪ it waxes and wanes ♪
♪ if what is going on is real ♪
♪ from the gods themselves we steal ♪
♪ night and day ♪
♪ night and day ♪
♪ a jug of wine a loaf
of bread and thee ♪
♪ lying on a blanket underneath
that big old spreading tree ♪
♪ such a beautiful feeling ♪
♪ such a beautiful feeling ♪
- Smoke?
- Hello, Perry luscombe.
- Hi dar, it's me.
I was gonna come into
town but there's a smoke.
- What, a fire?
- No, it's just
smoke, I can't see any fire.
But the smell is strong and
it's coming directly at us.
- Well can you see any
source of the smoke?
- Well it could be the
other side of lost river.
Could be somewhere in
Jeff Burke's place.
The wind's blowing directly at us.
- Is there anyone you can call?
- Well, we've only been
here for two weeks,
we hardly know anybody, there's Susan.
- I don't know, the craft shop, iga?
- I'm not calling
the supermarket for help!
- Darling, if it gets close
just, get in the car and go.
- How fast does
a bush fire travel?
- Well it depends on the
winds, I don't know.
Look, I'd cancel the meeting but
Bob's put off the first
day of his holiday
and I arranged the damn meeting so.
Hey you could call 000,
they can reassure you.
- I'm not gonna call 000
for bloody reassurance!
- Look, I've got a patient.
- Can I interrupt?
- Yeah, yeah of course
you can interrupt.
- I will, Perry?
Anything precious you want me to save?
- Well the new house.
- How am I supposed to...
- it's a joke lill, a joke.
Look stay calm, evacuate if necessary.
- Okay, love.
Bye.
- Is this bloody air
con broken down again?
- Yeah.
- I've been doing the cash flow.
- Svettie.
The radio's coming, we
can trade out of this.
- Every month it's worse
than the last one!
We've gotta make some decision, backa.
- Okay.
It's gonna have to wait, baby.
I gotta get two crews out.
- We're bleeding money!
- I've gotta go!
What, you want the whole bloody
town to burn down around us?
- Lost river pc, we have a
000 call for a grass fire
at 1447 kurrungulla road.
It's reported as being
fairly extensive.
Lost river pc, are you there?
- Yeah, I'll be there asap, Bryce.
- Copy that, fire com here.
- Backa, it's Fifi, I'm
driving into town right now.
- Roger.
- Joey here, your
bag's on the boot hill.
- Thanks, Joey.
You got the radios?
- Got everything, mate.
- You in?
- Yeah.
- What do I gotta do to
get a second crew up?
Hey, what about Gemma, Fifi?
- High school now, don't
worry, we'll get them.
- Fire com, lost river
one blue responding.
Crew of four, oic, Tim Burke.
Are you there Ali?
- Ali here, backa.
I'm fully outta action man,
my kids been vomiting.
Only tan and Al are doing okay.
- Lost river one, if you're
having trouble getting a crew?
- Yeah we are rolling all right,
we're just getting a
second crew together now.
I'm looking for pal and don argew.
Dave, any actives around?
Come on.
- Patto here, backa.
Don argew's gone to fox cove mate,
should be on his long board by now.
- I'll call him on his mobile.
- Dave called me, said he should
be an hour on the outside.
- Are you in, patto?
- I'll be about half an hour.
I've gotta finish this job first.
I can bring the cat seven out.
- Yeah good on you, thanks for that.
Listen we're two short and
there's no akleys on tap,
I'll call if it's just a
camp fire, all right?
- Copy that, backa.
♪ Passed over ♪
♪ he passed over ♪
♪ passed over passed over ♪
♪ he passed over ♪
- Fire com, lost river one blue.
- Go ahead.
- Fire's a couple of acres,
winds northwesterly.
- Hey.
- There's substantial scrub and gully
but it's upwind so it
shouldn't be a problem.
We've got an owner with a ute
and they've brought it in
a dangerous situation,
close to the fire front.
Just dealing with him now.
- Copy that, backa.
- G'day.
- Backa!
- Stewart, you're downwind
of the fire front,
using gear that's bloody useless,
and we know what else
you've been using it for,
weed sprayer.
- I keep me gear well clean, mate!
- Yeah well you're endangering
yourself, and us.
- Oh well that fire'll burn itself
after the time with you
standing here anyway.
- Stewart it's spotting already.
Have you been burning off?
- You've gotta be kidding!
There's restrictions isn't there?
- Yeah, that's right.
Okay, I want you back over, upwind.
Close to one of our trucks,
or off the fire ground completely,
and I'll talk to you when
I get back to the pub.
- My land, back.
- My fire ground, Stewart.
And if you want, I'll call the
cops and get you removed?
But if you cooperate today,
I still need your help.
What's up over the Ridge there?
- Which Ridge?
- This Ridge.
- What Ridge?
- This bloody Ridge!
- Larry, we got another line of 38 out.
- Joey, what're we
doing in the back burns?
- Yeah patto, backa says
we're gonna put in a line
down the backside of the
hill, out the back there.
- I didn't light those fires!
- Look you got the fuel, he's
got the fuel in his truck!
- That's in case I gotta
back burn, you idiot!
- Hold there, Noel, why don't
you just go up to your place.
- All right, but I'm trying
to reach in and wreck this.
- Global nine
this is fire com, go ahead.
- My fire breaks are well maintained!
- I know they are, mate.
- I bet you lit that fire
yourself just so you
could bring the brigade
and get me in strife! - Stewart!
Noel, go home!
Stewart, separate!
- Shit!
Stay calm.
Evacuate if necessary.
Perry?
- Hello, this
is Perry luscombe,
fox cove district health service.
I'm not here at the moment, so
please speak after the tone.
- Shit!
I broke the phone.
I'm calling on the mobile,
but the signal's terrible.
I've got the car, I've got
water in case I get trapped.
I might go back in the house,
but that's wrong isn't it?
Now look I'm really
worried about the chilts.
God this isn't fair!
I can't leave the chilts,
I'm not gonna leave them.
Oh someone's here, thank god!
Okay you're probably on your way.
I'll be sitting in the car.
Or on the road.
I'm on the mobile!
Jeff!
Jeff?
Jeff Burke, isn't it?
- I got a package to you, lill.
It was delivered to me by mistake.
- I've been worried about the fire.
- Oh yeah, the fire.
- Do you know where it is?
- Yeah it's about 20 ks
up that way, kurrungulla.
- No where near here?
- Yeah, kurrungulla, on
the other side of town.
- Way up there, right.
- Now the firies are taking care of it.
They're expecting a rough season.
- I know, the drought's been terrible.
- You're calling your
place hungry hill?
- Not officially.
Is that okay?
- Well that's the name of my place.
Now you've got the top of the Ridge,
you're in the hungry hill locality.
But the property name's mine.
- Right, okay, sorry.
- Okay.
- Thanks for that.
- G'day.
- Bye.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- Hello?
- Hello.
- Ah, I know you, lill?
Yeah, yeah you've got that
weekender up where, right?
- We're not weekenders anymore.
We just moved up permanently.
- Oh, well good on ya.
- You're Tim from the
craft shop, aren't you?
- Yep.
- Didn't know you in the uniform.
So how's it going?
- Oh well you know we're
just mopping up now.
- Beautiful.
- Yeah.
Some people say that.
- Hey backa, you wanna take the isuzu
and I can stay look after them?
- Okay, thanks mate.
- That was a good bit of back burning.
- Yeah, yeah.
Oh, lill, this is my brother, Joey.
He got the looks, and the brains.
Lill lives up hungry hill,
right next to you and
uncle Jeff's place.
- Oh yeah, up around the 90 there.
- Howdy, neighbor.
- Hey.
- Are you curious or you
just couldn't sleep?
- Something like that.
- We were just heading
back up to the station,
and we'll have a beer and a
chat you know just calm down.
You're welcome to join us, if you want.
- Okay.
- Hey backa!
Fresh crew's just arrived.
♪ A long time ♪
♪ I should be there in no time at all ♪
- Patto?
- Yeah?
- Did you clean the chainsaw?
- Hey!
Lill, you made it!
- Hey.
- Do you wanna have a beer?
- Ta, thanks.
- Come in, meet the rest
of the losties crew.
You've already met Joey. - Yep.
- Backa's making the introductions!
- Oh yeah, that's patto.
Why use one expression when none'll do?
He's second in charge.
- Yeah, when it suits ya!
- Now the real good-looking
one, that's eris.
He's a lead in this year's musical,
they write it themselves,
what's it called this year?
- Hello Wally.
It's lill, is it?
- Hi, eris.
- Yeah.
- Oh, and this is happy, Larry.
- Yep.
- Happy as.
- Oh and the real plain chick,
she's a miss showville 2002.
- Bloody never!
Hey. - Hi.
- Yeah she never ran it
'cause she couldn't bear
to come sing to anyone.
- I didn't catch your name?
- Oh she doesn't have a name.
- Fifi.
- Lill, I've met you at the iga.
- Yeah, you're the ricotta lady.
- Yeah lill lives up hungry drive,
you know that really steep hill?
- Yeah.
- I'm glad there's
women in the brigade.
- Oh there's
not, Fifi's a bloke.
- Yeah, backa's the only
chick in the outfit, lil.
- Yeah lill, you write
children's stories, don't you?
- I illustrate mostly, yeah.
- All right.
- Oh that's good, 'cause
backa can't read.
- Nice!
- Mwah.
- I thought your name was Tim?
- Yeah but he's real
name's Burke, backa.
- Burke, back of Burke, thank you!
- But the most important members
of this team are of course,
mitty, the candor.
Suzie the isuzu I think you
already met on the way in.
Mine is the old girl, the bedford.
She's parked out the back.
- So lill, feel safer now
that you've got the losties
crew here to protect you?
- Yes!
Yes, I do.
Hey, darling.
No I'm at the fire station
in town having a beer.
- Hey Joey.
- Yeah?
- Go and get a leaflet, all right?
Here you go, lill.
- Oh, shouldn't you be going
home to your beautiful wife?
- Eh, no rush.
You find a lot of things beautiful, eh?
So, what are you interested in?
- What do you mean?
- Well, if you're worried about fire,
you should join up!
Or your husband.
- I am worried about fire.
- Oh that is very sensible.
- Yeah well we're just
trying to grab you first,
see if you can sing, they're
gonna want you in the musical.
If you can grow veggies, it'll
be the lost river show.
If you can ride, it'll be the rodeo.
There's a preschool group,
rotary, cwa, land care.
- It's just I don't know...
- no, no pressure.
I'm not gonna drag you
kicking and screaming, just.
We're all volunteers.
Cheers.
- I could hear you were scared,
but I honestly thought you should just
hop in the car, and go.
- And let everything burn up?
- Yeah.
- I'll call 000 next time.
Next time.
- We said we'd give it a year.
- I said two.
God whoever said this
was a simple life?
The wind's changed, you can
see it's a long way away now.
Look at that view.
- Remember about yesterday morning?
The mist was rising up from the valley?
- It was horrible.
- Awful.
- Our kids will probably
get lost in that mist
on the way home from school,
and get transported to a
place a lot like heaven.
Oh look, fireflies.
- So, you drive 25 ks
to look at a fire?
- Analyze me not.
- What's that smell on you?
- I had a beer with the firies.
- No, it's something else.
Smoke.
- Are we still open?
- Too tired to talk now.
- There was a bloody fire.
- There's always a bloody fire.
And a bloody beer when you're finished.
- I've got a big couple of
days coming up svettie,
but after that I promise you...
- after what?
After the big fire there'll
be a big fundraiser?
And then the big training,
and a big something else.
And every month there is a
big mortgage payment due,
and uncle Jeff is our guarantor.
- If we can just string
our creditors along.
- I put it up again.
- I didn't get killed tonight.
- Yeah.
- We ran a good fire, you'd
of been proud of me.
- Yeah, good night.
- Night, sweetheart.
- Can't keep away, Fifi?
What?
- I'm pregnant.
Aphrodisiac, is it?
- You know I love you.
- Yeah, I should bloody hope so.
- Do you want to marry me?
- No, I'm busy at the moment.
- Heya Fifi.
- Hey.
Who is that?
- Hey where was the fire?
- Up kurrungulla way.
- Oh.
- You know Stewart Mactavish
and Noel McKinley?
- Yeah.
- Hey mum.
- Hey, you got a light, fif?
- Yeah.
- I reckon Stewart was
burning off without a permit
and he's blaming Noel.
And they both reckon it's gonna
burn itself out at the top,
it's a classic.
- They sound like idiots!
- We coulda used you, bro.
- Yeah, there's
some chicken in the fridge.
- No I'm rat shit.
Where's dad?
- I think he went to bed.
Couldn't wait up no longer.
- Who is that?
Give us a drag.
It's my last drag, ever.
It's warm, eh?
- You pregnant?
- Shit mum, are you psychic?
- What'd Joey say?
- He asked me to marry him.
Well I said no.
I don't think he knows what
he'd be getting himself into.
Hey, Kieran!
I know that you and noodle
have just discovered sex,
but can you please keep
it down after 2 A.M.?
Ugh.
- Boo!
Get up Carter, you're
late for school, mate.
- It's Saturday, Carter.
- Dad!
- The rural
fire service commissioner
has warned that the state
is facing the possibility
of another severe bush fire season.
- Hey bek.
- Thank you.
- Hi, doll.
- Hey backa.
- Hey keiran, that your new bike?
Patto told me about it.
- Hey, 250 cc racing bike, mate.
- Meaner than a $3 haircut.
- Hey backs.
You get him a two stroke
bike and he's 17, da?
- You're gonna be careful,
aren't ya Kieran?
- Careful?
Bullshit!
- Kieran you want a blt?
- Hey babe.
- Got a custom electrical
work, sharpie?
- Mate, you don't wanna know.
- Putting in the switch so you
can disconnect the brake lights.
- And why would I do that?
- Well I don't know, sharpie.
Why don't you tell me?
- Why don't you ask that
lovely wife of yours?
- Eh?
- So how're you doing?
- Oh yeah, you know.
You're okay.
- You need money?
I could always try the dodgey brothers.
You just gotta put your
firstborn up as collateral.
- Yeah.
No, we're sweet, mate.
- Fair enough.
- What are we gonna do?
- I don't know.
- I'll see ya, mate.
- If you don't want to get
married, well we could,
we could move in together.
- What, you, me,
uncle Jeff, and the baby?
Or what you can move in
with me and my family
that you love so much?
- Well around hallelujah there's
a couple of houses, right.
We could do one of them up,
we could make the rent.
- I only just found out I'm having it.
- Well it is 'cause you
need time to think?
- No I've got time to think, Joey!
All right, I'm gonna
see yous at training.
- Okay.
- Fifi's looking bloody good lately.
- Yeah, she always looks good, backa.
- Speaking of Noel, eh.
- Looking out
for his biodiversity.
- Bloody smokers.
Full of white end.
Burn forever.
- Candy, darling?
This is where the hemp wear is going.
- But what about the toys,
the kids love the toys!
- Yeah.
They come here and stare
at them every day.
Now they can finally own them
when we put them on sale.
Okay I've got a minute, busy now?
All right.
No one in fox cove sells the stuff.
We can have an exclusive agency,
and sell them to other shops.
- The clothes we've got aren't selling.
- Because every shop sells
jeans and Aaron Williams.
This is different.
- Candy, go and watch TV, will you?
Uncle Jeff's not made of money.
- I'll ask him.
- Candy, go and watch TV, I said, now.
Mum and I wanna talk.
- Off you go, darling.
- Why would he throw more money at us?
You know we won't just
lose the shop, svettie.
- Yeah.
Uncle Jeff wouldn't like having
a bankrupt in his family.
- Fifi's pregnant.
I overheard her and Joey talking.
- Well, good ole Jeff
won't be very happy.
- What's that got to do with it?
- Nothing.
- It's looking
impossibly picturesque.
- I've been admiring
your impossibly
picturesque new muscles.
Not bad for an old fella.
- That's the country air for you!
- I've invited Tim Burke
and his family to dinner tonight.
- I moved out here to be a hermit.
- Come on, they're nice people.
- I meet nice people every day at work.
What about you, haven't
you got work to do?
- Later.
- You go for your nice, air
conditioned drive, then.
- G'day!
- Whoa!
- Hello, lill.
- Oh, she's here!
G'day, lill!
- Hey lill!
- Told you she'd come!
- Hi, isn't it hot?
- Oh we can fix that!
Do you wanna get wet?
We're one short for a
five man fog attack.
Here you go.
See if that fits.
Come on guys!
Ready, lost river crew!
Okay, water on.
Ready?
Lill?
- Yep?
- Know what you're doing?
Ready?
One, two.
Ready, one, two.
Ready, one, two!
Ready, one, two!
Ready, one, two!
Hold it there!
♪ And it hurts ♪
♪ I was taught by experts ♪
- Okay, we got our flame off!
Too easy!
Okay, no wait, lill, lill, lill!
Come here, come on in, we
gotta out yet, you nom!
Geez, she's gone for a runner!
You all right?
Yeah everyone all right?
Take a step back please,
lill, step back, Joey.
All goes one, two.
Okay lost river crew,
here we go, walking out.
Ready, one, two!
Ready, one, two, stop giggling!
Ready, one, two!
Water off.
Well done!
Well done!
Good work!
Where were you going?
Were you going for a cup of tea?
Well, the flame's this big!
- Hey uncle Jeff.
- Backa.
How's that fire?
- Oh yeah, you know.
It wasn't that bed.
Once we separated Stewart
Mactavish and Noel mckinnley.
- Noel and Stewart used
to be mates, did you know?
- No, god what happened to them?
- Oh things change.
It's quiet in here today.
- Oh it usually is in the afternoon.
You should try on some pants.
- I don't need new pants.
- These are hemp, they're very cooling.
- I was happy to look at the books.
- I've explained it but
the computer crashed.
- Did you explain that
things, they're tight?
- You've been turning
the shop upside down again?
- Well no, svettie's
got this good idea.
- A good idea?
Good management is what you need.
You oughta apply your captaincy skills
to running the business.
Now Joey, he'd make a go of the shop.
Reliable, good head for figures.
- Yeah, yeah, Joey's solid.
Yeah, Joey's real reliable.
- Yeah.
With all his responsibilities,
now that Fifi sharp's pregnant.
- How pregnant?
- Oh we don't know.
It's early days yet.
- Oh no, it's way beyond that.
I reckon you oughta order torulosa
pines for the wind break.
Do it through the shop, get
yourself some dollars.
- Yeah Joey wanted Amelia white cedars.
- Amelias are wind hazard.
- Yeah but torulosa's not a
native and Joey wanted...
- torulosa says, "I live here."
Order the pines.
Might even pay my tab tomorrow.
- You didn't ask him.
- God!
I don't...
- I had to tell him about Fifi.
I'm glad I did.
- How can you be?
- Because at the center, is the family.
- Jeff Burke, you old buggar.
- I won't have Joey trapped
by you and your people.
Get rid of it.
- Well I say this for you,
Jeff, you speak your mind.
But if I want to have an abortion,
I'll have one and if I want
to have a baby, I'll have it.
Okay?
- I know your reputation, Fifi sharp.
You're not in Joey's class.
- I'll quit.
- What, quit working for uncle Jeff?
- Yeah, yeah I'll do some fencing,
I'll go up north, I'll make some money.
- Such a boy scout.
- What do you mean?
- Well everything is
black and white to you.
- Well I don't know, Fifi!
- Do you know what you
said to me one day?
You once said to me, "that land,
"I am gonna own that land for dad."
And that was Jeff Burke's
land that you were
talking about when you said...
- yeah I know which land
you're talking about, but
I must've been 15 then.
- Well you were a boy scout then
and you're a boy scout now.
- You don't wanna get married,
you don't wanna move in together,
I don't reckon you know what you want!
- Well who says that I
don't wanna get married?
- Look at this!
How long did this take you?
- All this work and detail!
- Oh, couple of years of weekends.
It's moving in a bit quicker
now that we've moved in here.
- See this?
This is gonna be the
view from the nursery.
- What?
- The water tank.
- Oh, right!
- I want to infect my kids
with images of rustic beauty.
- Well you have to
clear all that rubbish
out from underneath!
- Where are those kids?
- In our gonads for the time being.
Perry's got a couple of his own.
- They live with their mother.
- And you want more?
- Yeah!
Get it right this time.
So how would a fire start then?
- Oh we're in
the lightning belt.
Lightning starts more than
half the fires around here.
- I've never heard of a lightning belt,
we've been coming here for two years!
- No?
- Oh, dear.
I get nervous around lightning.
- Well no worry, you'll
never get struck twice.
- So where would a
fire come from backa?
You're scaring us!
- Oh that way, across the hill.
Or from there if it's a westerly.
God it comes up that gully,
it's gonna come up quick.
- So when do we run?
- I mean, don't get me wrong,
the place is defendable!
Especially if we get the cat-1 here.
- Backa never runs from anything.
Except me.
- They think you're joking.
- You're a psychiatrist, Perry?
- A psychologist.
I specialize in torture and trauma.
- Hey Jeff Burke, he's
backa's uncle isn't he?
- Mmm.
- Because I was down in the gully,
and there's this little
plantation on his land.
- That's not Jeff's, that's mine.
Hey!
Let's go and have a drink!
- So what happened then?
- Well, the dairy went down.
And then the bloody lost river farmers.
- There you go.
- Held out too long, thanks.
Oh I missed out on
beef when it was gold.
And then the powder
cutting works closed.
There was 30 of us, made redundant.
And we've been in drought
since, oh you know.
I mean look how dry it is back there.
Then the akleys upped
stakes after 140 years here
and moved to toowoomba.
With a whole lot of em,
including eight firies.
- Darling, stop bamboozling
them with your local knowledge.
- Backa?
- No, I'm all right, thanks mate.
- Oh.
- So when will I pass for a local?
- The day your grandfather gets
buried in a local cemetery.
- No, no!
That's not true!
God local is as local does.
I mean the point is, as long as...
- please, everybody's broke!
- Perry's phone.
- Svettie, please!
- Honey?
- Hello?
- Don't be asking.
- No you wanna ask them to
join your fire brigade.
- What, what?
- Well so what, we need members!
- All right, yeah.
- They don't the fire brigade
to take over their whole life.
- No.
No, you know, I can't just come down
at the drop of every
adolescent, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, all right.
- The first wife.
Total cow.
- Okay, put her on.
- So you know I wanna do my bit,
I wanna be a lostie one day.
- No, no, no, no, no.
I wanna belong.
- No, it's not your mother.
- Yeah?
Turning up's half the job.
- What's the other half?
- Knowing what to do
when you get there.
- Yeah right, just calm down.
I have to go back to Sydney.
I don't know what else to do.
Right now I've got a
couple of days off,
I should be making my bricks.
- Is this a weeping 17-year-old?
- Yeah, more or less.
- Please, sir.
- Yes, love.
- We live here now.
Our home is here.
The view is here, the
fresh air is here,
our guests are here. - I know that.
- I am here!
- Darling I know, I know.
Just wait until your second marriage.
You'll understand.
Kay, what have I missed?
- You're right, babe.
We mightn't make it to the rodeo.
- Don't talk about it.
To our missing souls.
- It's not that bad.
- Told Jeff about Fifi.
- You did it.
- You wanted me to.
Husband, are you going
to save the world
if you can't save your marriage?
I miss getting drunk with you.
- I don't know if I like
drinking with you anymore.
- I'm going out, to
drink with me mates.
- It's midnight.
- It's all sky!
Sky, how can there be
so many pieces of sky!
- Hey svettie.
Come in, we're just opening
some new home brew.
Come on.
- No.
- No hangover.
- All right.
- Sky, sky.
Sky.
I just visited our plot.
I was wondering if you made
an executive decision.
- What?
- The wire was cut.
Every plant was pulled.
- What!
- You didn't tell me!
- I'm telling you now.
- No!
- Was it backa or was it uncle Jeff?
- We can replant.
We'll just have to find a safer place.
That's right, isn't it, sharpie?
- If you can raise the capital.
- You have to ask him.
- Svettie, I will.
When I think he's ready,
at the end of the month.
Don't worry.
God, it'd be a miracle
if he said yes, anyway.
Coming to bed?
- Not for a while.
- It is a beautiful spot.
You oughta put in a dam, Joey.
- I know you talked to her.
- Sharps got greedy little
eyes and quick hands.
- Yeah, you hate them.
- I got every bloody right to.
People always break my heart.
He marries that blood-sucking,
Russian, bottomless pit,
and you, you pretend
she isn't one of them.
- Fifi's not typical.
- Wouldn't seem typical to you.
- Don't talk to my fiance
the way you did, all right?
- Oh, so you're engaged now?
- Well I love her!
And you can stay outta my business!
- Hey fif.
- Hi.
Hey.
- I was thinking I should open
a dry cleaner's or something.
I don't know.
Become a professional surfer or...
- Or a boy scout leader.
- Yeah.
- Bye bye land.
- No, it's gotta leave it to someone.
Yeah?
- Yeah.
I don't know, he loves that land, Fifi.
So do I.
- That's what I mean.
- What are you doing?
- I know what you want.
- What, what are you saying?
Are you saying you want,
you're saying I just want sex?
I want love, darling.
- I'm never gonna be easy.
The day I make it easy
for you, I'll be dead.
- I know all that.
- And is that what you
think you're in love with?
- Hello?
- Hey lill, it's backa.
Listen you know how
you said last night,
you wanted to belong?
- Hello!
Sorry I'm late, lill.
Peg, isn't it?
- It's at the school of arts.
- Right.
Oh, isn't it hot!
We started going for drives
because we don't have air
conditioning, we live in a shed!
- Up from the city?
- Yeah we've had a weekender
for a couple years,
just moved up for good.
- Most be a relief to get away
from those asians, the crime.
- I have good friends who are Asian.
- You'd have to while
you were living there.
- No, they're pretty good friends.
We live up hungry hill.
- I never go up that way.
- We're gonna plant a
whole lotta trees,
fill in some frost blocks.
Very beautiful.
- A farm isn't a big
yard to muck around in.
- Fasten seat belts.
So peg, what time shall I pick you up?
- Come on.
- Sorry?
- I don't want to be waiting
around here for hours.
Show us your colors, Mrs. yengill.
- Oh I thought I'd go
to the fire station.
- Don't be ridiculous!
- Morning.
- Morning, peg.
Oh hello!
You must be lilly yengill.
- Lill.
- I'm meena Roberts, we're
just about to start.
- I'm not sure that
me and the cwa are...
- not sure you're a good fit?
Well,
don't ask what the country
women's association
can do for you but what
you can do for it.
Everyone, this is lill yengill.
She's not joining us, she's
only here because...
- Because peg wouldn't let me flee.
- Okay, let's get started.
On the agenda, our treasurer's sick.
Now she's only gonna be off
for a couple of months but
I'm looking for somebody to
take her place in the interim.
Any takers?
It's an easy job.
Lill, you'd be perfect.
We'll talk about it later.
Okay, let's start.
Up we get ladies, come on.
♪ Australians all let us rejoice ♪
♪ for we are young and free ♪
♪ with golden soil and
wealth for toil ♪
- Oh I don't know.
One minute I'm fighting mad old peg,
and next minute they're
trying to make me treasurer!
God Perry, I had a
speech planned for you,
"wait you have to work for
the community you want,
"it's as simple as that."
Then all this happens and
paradise starts to look like
Dante's inferno and the
goddamn fireflies are back
and the sunset's gorgeous.
The tank stand's gorgeous,
and I'm terrified I'm gonna
end up hating it here.
I've done no work all day.
And all I need is a good hug
and some free analysis.
What possessed up to move to
the fire and lightning belt?
- We need to rely on you guys.
- Mate we are still fighting fires!
- Now what if every
time you get a call,
I send a backup crew
from fox cove or Weir?
- Weir has a bloody cocking's
brigade for start,
I mean they've only got one real truck.
- Well they always
manage to get it out.
- Well it's your decision Bryce.
Joey, we were just
discussing pregnant women
going out and fighting fires.
- I prefer them to go on
light duties, myself.
- Yeah remember sue Willoughby?
She only stopped 'cause she couldn't
get in and out of the cab!
- Wouldn't be odd these days.
Who's the lucky girl?
- Oh, it's just a
hypothetical question.
- Hey Joey.
Joey, mate, wait up.
- How'd you find out?
- I overheard you.
- Yeah I was wondering
who told uncle Jeff.
- I'm sorry mate, you
know it just come out.
- Yeah well I should knock
your bloody head off!
- Yeah.
- I quit today.
- Yeah, I know.
- I've gotta go around
and finish digging
some bloody hole you started.
Joey?
Joey.
The deal, it stands, yeah?
When he goes, we split it.
We split it.
- When the right way gone mate,
he's not gonna split it
with either one of us.
- Probably outlive both of us.
You gonna move in with her?
- Oh geez mate, if I knew.
She is being most bloody confusing.
- I reckon if stop trying to
pretend we like each other
right now we might get on better, eh?
- Oh.
What if there's a fire?
When are you going to ask him?
- Shut up.
- You can be so damn Russian sometimes.
- This is a test brought to
you by your two children!
- Today you're running the shop.
I'm taking the day off.
- So, why isn't my
nephew showing me this?
- He thinks we come
can trade out of it.
Spends all his time down
at the fire station.
- Well that station keeps him standing.
Brings in customers.
- But if we had to sell,
we might have to leave the district.
- Oh perhaps he has another reason
for spending all his time down there.
Escape the wife?
Your trouble is you don't
have a good head for figures,
not like me.
I'll give you a demonstration.
Now your family's where, Toronto?
Is that where they migrated to?
Well a one way economy air
ticket to Canada is $1,750.
And if you want some luggage?
A nice set of luggage,
$1,200, that's $2,950.
Train fare to Sydney,
and you want some
presents for your family.
At $100 each, let's say.
How many in your family, six?
That's $3,664, plus 1,000 for
sundries when you're there.
I've got a figure of $4,664.
What do you think of my arithmetic?
- A bit quiet here without Joey.
You'll be very lonely.
- That bloody idiot!
- Okay now, I think.
Is that one on,
oh no I've just got that
back to front I think.
Oh, excuse me.
My wife will look after you
now, it's that's all right.
- Don't go!
- I've got to.
Call you later. - No!
- Sorry.
- Hey backa, quick word?
- Yeah.
- Backa!
- One second, patto.
Sorry mate.
- Fifi.
- What?
- This is about Fifi being,
about Fifi being pregnant.
And Bryce reckons pregnant women
aren't supposed to go in.
- Yeah, but sue Willoughby used to.
- Yeah, look, I mean it's
Fifi's decision but yeah.
- Backs.
- One second eris.
- Watch your back!
- Yep.
- I've gotta advise
against it, you know.
And I can't go either man,
I've still got a couple
of pints of booze in me.
- That never stopped you before.
- Yeah I know, but I've
been strictly legal
since I've been captain.
- I'll be all right
in a couple of hours.
- But I'm right now.
- Oh no no, you've got the Bob.
- I got the Bob?
You make it sound like
I've got the clap.
Look I can stay.
- Could you?
- Yeah.
- Great, okay well Reggie
can take the can up.
And as soon as we get him,
we'll send him straight over.
Joey?
Congratulations, mate.
- Okay, that's great mate.
Thanks, I'll speak to you later.
Okay, bye.
- Nothing we can't handle mate.
- The owners Noel and Stewart
are currently cooperating.
- Joy, yeah hey it's
Fifi, is Gary about?
Yeah that's the one,
up kurrungulla way.
Ta.
- Do you reckon he might
need the old girl?
- You tell Fifi to stay put!
- I heard that!
- No, we're virtually mopping up, mate.
- Okay, copy that.
- Hey look, we've got a full crew.
And we've got a relief crew
for tomorrow, if it's needed.
And I'm just waiting on Gary
and then I'm gonna go home.
- Okay, thanks darling.
Hey happy?
- Yeah man?
- Can you get the old bedford ready?
- Done.
- Just in case?
You know you confused the
shit out of him, don't you?
He's a good bloke, Joey,
he's good enough.
- Here you go, girls.
Come on.
On your boob job.
On your boob job.
Come on late, then.
Come on.
- I hate this!
It's bullshit, I should be
out there fighting fires!
- Yeah, I know.
- Joey's a good bloke, mum.
- Across
the state this afternoon,
we're expecting fierce
electrical storms.
- Yeah, he is.
- Whisper, whisper, whisper.
- What were you having a dip at man
for with Jeff Burke about
the other day, Fifi?
- Nothing.
He thinks he's in a Shakespeare play.
- Yeah?
Knowing Jeff Burke,
it'd be Richard III.
- Sending it straight
over my head, darling.
- That's why I still give
you the time of day!
- Candy darling, I had to
go out, I'm sorry, baby.
- You want a jaffa?
- No, darling.
- This is lost river one.
Eris and I have just
jacked the truck up,
and we're stuck down in
the gully for a bit.
We've got a bloody shredded
tire at the moment.
It's gonna take a while to clear it.
- Okay mate,
if you need a hand,
they're skirting the fire out now.
- Oh no mate, we're all right.
We've got everything under control.
- Copy that.
- Lost river one, this is Fifi,
I'm bringing welfare in.
- Yeah, copy that, thanks Fifi.
Hey fif, we got two spot fires,
and one of them's burning
out of our vision.
You might just wanna check on that
as you come down the track.
- Shit!
- No copy that,
if you could stand by for a moment.
Bryce?
We've got another report of a fire,
this time a lightning
strike down at hungry hill.
- Lost river pc, we have a 000 call
for a new fire up at hungry hill.
- Come on Kieran!
- Bye!
- Where is it?
- Lill yengill's place.
- What, that panicky chick?
- Yeah that's right,
uncle Jeff confirmed it.
- Kieran!
- Yeah?
- Be careful!
- Yes, mum.
- Bek?
Can you pop in on svettie for me later?
You know she's just,
she's a bit on edge.
It's just gonna be a
late one, that's all.
- Yeah.
- No mate, there's no
sign of wind change here.
We're changing the tires, mate.
- Lost river one,
copy that, fire com's here.
- How is it, sharpie?
- Hard to say.
Are you taking the old girl out?
- Well now she's fought a
lot of fires that bedford,
she'll be sweet.
- Come on backa, let's go!
- Shift over, Kieran!
All right Larry, turn it over!
- Bye.
- Good girl, good girl, off we go!
Good girl, all right.
No!
Tim Burke's coming!
Hang on a minute!
Look, yeah.
No, he said the house was
defendable, hang on.
All right.
Sorry?
I think you better come home.
- Lost river one!
We've got a big bit of scrub burning
- are you all right?
- Out of your vision!
- Fifi, I thought you
were going to stay put?
- You're in very grave danger!
- Fifi stay where you are!
- Joey, you dickhead, you're
stuck between two fires!
Get off the radio!
- Get in the truck mate, we're trapped.
Get the bloody farmers!
- Stewart! Noel!
- Fire com, this is lost river one,
emergency, emergency, emergency!
- Stewart, get in the truck!
- Fifi, just take it nice and slow.
- Noel, get in!
- Fire com, we're about to
be impacted on by fire,
we're taking shelter in
the truck, do you copy?
- Copy that, lost river one.
- That wind's
really bloody whipped up
a fire storm, Bryce.
We're taking shelter now.
Eris, get in!
- We're coming!
It's coming this way!
Come on Noel, get out there!
- Come on get in guys, hurry up!
- There's blankets under
your seat, get under them.
- Get your windows up!
Stay under the blankets until
we get the all clear okay!
- Joey, come on!
- Come on mate!
- Everybody stay down!
- Fifi, water.
- Take this.
- Lost river one, are you there?
Lost river one, are you there?
Lost river one, please respond.
Lost river one, this is
fire com, please respond.
- Bek?
- Lost river one?
Lost river one, do you copy?
Lost river seven?
- Fire com, lost river seven.
- Lost river seven,
can you see what's happening?
- Fire com from lost river seven,
I'm not sure, it's real smoky.
- Okay patto, we're
gonna need sid ramp.
- Fire com, this
is backa, we're 10 minutes
from the other fire, and
you please keep us posted?
- Copy that,
can someone give me a
visual as soon as possible?
Lost river one, are you there?
Lost river one, are you there?
Any visual, patto?
- The fire's
right on top of them.
- Okay fellas listen to me.
Pull these down over your faces.
When the fire hits, it's
gonna get hotter than hell
under here, then get
under the blankets.
Stewart, put your balaclava on!
- They're trapped,
there's no way out.
They're bloody trapped.
- Bek!
- Cover up Joey!
Take your watches and stuff off people,
they're gonna melt.
It's gonna get hard to breathe in here!
- Patto why don't you just
tell me what's happening down there?
- It's a burn over!
- Bek!
- Yeah, I've gotta
go see svettie, doll.
- Lost river
seven, I'm gonna need you
as soon as you can get there.
- It's a burn over!
Fifi's in the truck!
- Where is that bloody rain?
Lost river seven,
we you have support and
backup coming your way.
I've check on everything now,
the police should be with
you in a few minutes.
- Copy that.
- G'day.
Fire com, lost river two.
I'm at hungry hill, the fire is moving
directly up the gully towards us.
We're gonna need back up appliances
and road blocks as quick as possible,
do you copy that?
- Copy that, backa.
- Kieran, drop that.
Clear all that furniture off the deck.
- Got it!
- Hey happy!
- Yep?
- It's spotting over this side, too.
- Backa, is it safe to drive in?
- Jeff, come on come on,
yeah you can come all
the way up the drive.
It's steep,
it's coming up fast!
We can save this place, come on.
- Okay backa.
- I've put the chilts in the house,
I had one hose sprinkling
on the new house,
but the electricity's gone off, so.
I've hooked up the pump.
- Okay, which house is the priority?
- This one, but Perry's been
working that for two years, so.
- Well, we'll try and
save both of them.
Out and round the back!
Hey now, we're not doing
anything heroic, okay?
If it gets too dangerous, we
just piss off in the bedford.
Now you know how to start your pump?
- Yeah, I've practiced.
- Good, well keep drinking.
Start your pump.
- Larry!
I need that 38...
- should I back burn at my place?
- No, no no no, mate,
we've gotta stay here.
We've got two houses to defend.
Later on we'll look at it, okay?
- Can they get out,
can you get near them?
- There's no way
out, they're trapped.
- Oh, me hand!
- Fire com, lost river two.
Yeah I want full details
of what's going on
with the lost river one crew.
- There's no one answering, backa.
Lost river one, can you copy?
Lost river one, please copy!
- I think it's going!
I think it's passed on!
- Get under blanket mate,
we gotta stay put!
- No, if the wind screen
blows, we're all gonna cook!
We have to go now!
- Lost river seven, what's happening?
Any sign of life?
- Negative, not a chance.
- Come on, let's go!
- Wait, there's somebody
out, there's somebody out.
I can see two, three, Fifi's out.
Joey, they're all out, they're all out.
- Can you help me
with him Stewart please?
- Ow!
- All right!
All right!
Hold on, hold on!
- Fire com, lost river two.
We're definitely gonna
need that pumper up here.
We're definitely gonna
need the pumper up here.
- Yeah fire
com, fox cove one,
we're about five minutes
from hungry hill.
- That's it, secure it!
Over here mate. - Got it.
- Fire com, this is lost river two.
We've lost a structure here,
the fire is very thick, very fast.
Hang on.
Lill, lill!
Lill!
Lill!
- Don't need you, I got it!
- Lill, I'm making a judgment call.
I want you in the fire truck, okay?
- I wanna help!
- Yeah, that would be the best help!
Come on!
- Lost river
captain, this is fox cove one.
Backa, we're at the
top of the driveway.
- Yeah fox cove, we're at
the top, Western side,
you be able to to see us!
Come up to the end of the track!
Fork left!
- You better come there?
- No, negative.
It's a bit more serious than that.
- Copy that.
- Hey, happy!
Just draw back closer to
the bedford will you?
- All right.
- And I need another line out!
- Yeah backa, I can do that!
- Good on ya, mate!
- I'll just get that frame covered!
- Go, go, go!
- This is atwood one,
we got road blocks coming into play.
The fire's bear road, but we
trying to contain at this end.
What about air drop?
- Copy that atwood one.
Heli tag 226 will be with us shortly.
- Fire com, lost river two.
Yeah we've got the
pumper from fox cove,
but we still need that
Weir crew, please.
- Copy that, backa.
- Keep drinking!
- Weir
seven isn't far away.
- Fire com, lost river two.
What's happening down
there, do you copy?
- They're all
okay, they're all safe.
Including your brother,
the ambos are with them.
- Oh!
Good news.
How are you, Cameron?
Good to see ya! - Okay, backa!
What do you want?
- I need at least a
couple of lines of 38
out on this side, we haven't
got anything that side.
- No worries.
- All right mate, I'll
see ya at the front here.
- Fox cove,
fire com heli tag 226,
I need.
- Heli tag
226, we require a drop
on the northern side of the fire.
With reference 216329.
- That's my place up there.
My wife's there.
- Got the owner here, how's his wife?
- She's okay, no vehicles!
- You okay, dad?
- Yeah.
- The Weir crew should be
coming up the drive any minute.
- Yeah copy that, go go go!
Yeah, yeah!
Bring it up, bring it all the way in!
Western side, you should
be able to see us!
Come up to the end of the track!
Fork left.
Kieran!
Yeah get us another load of us.
- Got it.
- That's chilt shed, let it burn!
Just keep it there,
we're passing through!
Let's get round the back of the house,
we can save this house!
- Don't worry mate,
you were just in the
wrong place, that's all.
- Hey Bryce, I need call
luisa, my phone melted.
Thanks, man.
- What happens now?
- An investigator's coming from region.
The trauma guys are on the way.
- Come on.
Oh she's not there.
I gotta call, just someone.
- You want me to try Cleo's?
- Okay.
- Cleo?
It's eris Parsons.
I need...
- Cleo?
Hey it's Fifi sharp, yeah.
Have you seen luisa Parsons?
Eris just wants her to know
that he's safe and sound.
Can you tell her that?
Okay, thanks dove.
Bye.
- Mum?
Yeah.
I'm okay.
Listen, eris is looking for
luisa and he can't find her,
and he just wants her to
know that he's all right.
- Okay, you tell him I'll find her.
It's okay, I'll find her,
I'll let her know, okay?
But what about you sweetie,
are you all right?
- Yep, we're all okay.
Noel McKinley's the worst,
we're all a bit shaky.
- Yeah of course you are.
Look I'm gonna put your
dad on, he's been upset.
- Yeah, put him on.
- Hello?
- Dad?
- Oh darling!
- Hey, dad!
- Don't do that to me!
- Hey!
- I was sitting in the truck and,
I mean I was sitting.
And I heard it on the radio and.
- Hey.
- Oh it's terrible!
- Hey dad, stop crying, I'm okay.
No I'm fine, dad stop crying okay?
You're gonna make me cry.
- I need you to take a
few deep breaths for me, okay?
- They're checking me over,
I'll call you back, okay?
- All right, I love you.
- Yeah, I love you too, bye.
- Two years work.
Up in bloody smoke.
- Do you want some water, Larry?
- Thanks, mate.
- Sorry, Perry.
At least we saved your home.
- Saved the water tank.
- Yeah, the fire never got there.
- I've got a picture of it somewhere.
- Good.
- You always lived in the area, peg?
- I was born in lost river,
ten foot inside the shire limits.
Never lived anywhere else!
- Gee.
- You're from Sydney, Perry?
- Oh, all over really.
Lill and I have lived many places.
- Big change for us.
- Did you cope with that heat?
- Well that really hot
day we had last weekend,
we just got in the car, and we drove.
Soaked up the air conditioning.
- Wasn't as hot!
Are you on the power?
- Oh yes, we have power.
- Yeah, yeah, I know.
I know the numbers aren't crash hot.
- You could consider selling.
- No, no.
Me and svettie, we want
to make a go of it.
- I'll bet she does.
Are you asking me for money, backa?
- Yep.
- Just so happens I
brought my checkbook.
- I usually stay till nine.
- Eris.
- Hey backs.
- Should stayed in the
shed and washed my hair.
- Well you can't run tank water.
- Yeah you can.
- Backa.
- On you, mate.
Hey, I'm really glad you could make it!
- I'm going into the bushes
to send some messages.
- Sounds exciting.
- My daughter, taz.
- Oh, I got one too.
Pretty low key tonight,
as you can imagine.
Come in, come in.
- I can't believe how
many cakes and slices
we've been sent over the last few days!
I'm getting fat!
Hello meena!
- Hello!
- We got half a pig from peg beacher.
- No!
- Yeah we had to get one of those
chest freezers to put it in.
- Oh well you're putting down roots.
- Except we have to
decide whether it's worth
staying in lost river.
Two years and all.
- Oh you're kidding, come on!
I mean what and miss
out on all of this!
You know and there's lovely fireflies,
and now you've got a fire
bank around your house,
and half a pig!
- Yeah.
- Well we're just waiting
things out, backa.
We can see the advantages.
- We certainly can.
- Is svettie here?
- Yeah no, she's having a migraine.
- Shame.
- Yeah, I'm gonna make
a bit of a speech.
Evening everyone.
Welcome to Friday firies.
We have a bit of a tradition
here in lost river,
Friday nights someone gets
up and gives us a song.
Tonight it was gonna be eris Parsons,
well it's still gonna be eris Parsons,
but it's been a pretty difficult week,
for him and for a lot
of people here so,
well just, you know make
him feel welcome, eh?
Eris?
- Yeah, mate.
- Good on ya!
- Maybes I'll try not to
put too much of a hole
in your chalk revel time here.
I used to hear this song
a lot when I was a kid.
You know grandad used to sing it to me.
♪ Oh land of my father ♪
♪ oh land of my love ♪
♪ dear mother of minstrels
who kindle and move ♪
♪ and hero on hero who
at honor's proud call ♪
♪ for freedom ♪
♪ their lifeblood let fall ♪
♪ and long as the sea
your bulwark shall be ♪
♪ to cymru my heart shall be true ♪
♪ oh land of the mountains ♪
- Don't you wanna marry me anymore?
- No.
Convince me.
You're too much hard work.
I better go.
- It's early, oi!
Oi.
Are you going somewhere?
- Yeah.
I'm gonna stay in a campsie tonight,
and I'll run up to toowoomba tomorrow.
Kenny Akley's got some
work on up there.
- Oh my god.
- Yeah.
- See ya, Fifi.
- How long for?
- Dunno mate.
♪ As long as the sea
your bulwark shall be ♪
♪ to cymru my heart shall be true ♪
♪ sweet cymru my heart shall be true ♪
- Did you ask him?
- It doesn't all hang on that, does it?
Oh that's a good job.
That'd go up real quick.
- Looks like you'll
survive another fire.
- I asked uncle Jeff for the money.
He wouldn't give us it all
but he gave us a few grand,
a stop gap.
It means the mortgage is
coming next month but,
He wants to be more involved.
- I'm sorry.
Is that the check?
- Oh yeah.
It's a funny number.
"Where there's life, there's
hope," my dad said.
Just before the cancer got him.
♪ We're chasing ♪
♪ a beautiful rainbow ♪
♪ our story ♪
♪ hasn't been told ♪
♪ it takes rain ♪
♪ to make a rainbow ♪
♪ takes a sun dying ♪
♪ to turn the world gold ♪
♪ the days run ♪
♪ outside my window ♪
♪ like wild horses ♪
♪ across the plains ♪
♪ fireflies ♪
♪ dance in the shadows ♪
♪ love don't shine steady ♪
♪ it waxes and wanes ♪