Fires (2021–…): Season 1, Episode 5 - Episode #1.5 - full transcript

Fires
across the country

have burnt more than
6 million hectares...

fires so volatile,

they're creating their
own weather systems...

just absolutely
catastrophic,

the flames dancing through
the tops of the trees...

Smoke from the bushfires in
Australia has blown to New Zealand,

blanketing some of the
country's retreating glaciers...

emergency
crews were stretched thin,

struggling in
chaotic conditions.

No-one can prepare
you for it. That's for sure.



Hey...

Ruth?

Ruth?!

I'm here!

Oh, shit. Shit!

I can't get onto Leo!

Maybe they got out!

Call Hendo... Oh, Christ!

Bastard!

Ohh...

Get the hose, quick!
Start wetting down!

Ruth, I can't... I
can't untangle it!

Give it to me.
I'm doing my best!

Shit!



Bucket. Go!

Oh, yuck! Ash.

I'm gonna try Leo
and Maria again.

Ohh...

Fuck!

It's hit their house!

They would've gotten out.

They would've gone.
They... they would've.

Oh, my God!

No...

Fuck! Oh!

The animals!

Nawra!

Get the carry cages!
We'll get them to the ute!

Take them to the sanctuary!

Oh, shit!

We can't drive in this.

Nawra, we can't stay out here!

Ruth, we can get them
in the house, OK?

They're sick. It's our
job to look after them!

Go on, go. Hey, hey, come on.

Go, go, go, go!

Stop it! What are you doing?!

Go on. Go, go, go! They're
gonna... they're gonna die!

It's their best chance! Ruth,
we can get them in the house!

There is no fucking time! Go!

Nawra, go!

Shit.

We could've gotten them out.

We could've taken them
somewhere safe, Ruth.

Call triple zero, you tell
them that we're in the house,

we are sheltering in the laundry
and we are surrounded by fire.

Tell them to get the
fire trucks here now.

Hello? I can't hear
you!

Hey, come into the laundry.

The fire is all around us!

What's your location?

10 Blue Wren Road, West Curran.

Please just come quick.

The fire service has no
reports of fires in that area.

He's fucking joking, right?

Kip? MAN: Yeah, coming.

10 Blue Wren Road.

ESTA - two women
sheltering, West Curran.

There's not supposed
to be a fire there.

Curran sector commander
from Dumont ICC Operations.

Good luck. I've been trying
to get him for 20 minutes.

Dumont ICC to all sectors.

Going to require
a sitrep at 0500.

Copy that.

Greg, this just came in.

Fire predictions are way off.

I can't reach the
sector commander

and every appliance except the
strike team are at the Borriga fire.

Get a sitrep from the
Queensland strike team leader

and see if they can attend.

Copy that.

No way. I'm not leaving.
I'm defending my home.

That fire is 20 minutes away.

We can't stay. And this place...

It's not defendable.

It's a tinderbox.

Have you got
anywhere safe to go?

You tell us. Where's safe?

Rollo's opened up the
co-op. I saw it online.

Tash! Priority call.

10 Blue Wren Road, West Curran.

Two women sheltering - priority.

Acknowledged - priority, 10
Blue Wren Road, West Curran.

Wilco. Over. Mott,
we've gotta go.

That is so close.

Just head back to town.

Please.

The
ute's OK for now.

But if the fire gets to
it...

What do we do? We
wait for the firies.

It's OK. The concrete's
gonna keep us cool.

And if it gets really bad,

we cover ourselves and we
wait for it to burn over.

We need to get low.
Come on.

Don't. Don't do that to me now.

Yeah.

We'll be OK. It's OK.

There's still
20-something residents

at the Valla Nursing Home.

Caller said they could
see flames approaching!

Have you been able to get onto the
section commander for that area?

Still not responding. They're
flat out on the fire ground.

OK, well, who else is close by?

What about Weimar? On
their way to Borriga.

Too far. I got no-one!
No-one I can raise anyway.

They're all off the radios.

It's north-east of Curran.

No... no! No way, mate. No way!

Queensland team's the closest.

What about my women on Blue Wren?
Nursing home's a priority call.

Blue Wren's a priority call,
Dell. There's two people.

Valla's 20, more, old folk,
and they can't be moved.

Mate, the...

Please.

Reroute the Queensland team.

Strike Team QFB 04 from
Dumont ICC Operations.

I've got a priority call.

Around 20 people sheltering
at Valla Nursing Home.

Copy
that. Rerouting now.

What about Blue
Wren priority job?

I'll
let them know.

Who's going to those women?

I'm calling in medical for you.

No, I'll be fine.

Dumont ICC Operations
from Strike Team QFB 04.

We have an injured team member.

Can we organise
a pick-up for him

to be transported for
medical assistance?

Kip Fisher from Vic Forests.
Are you safe to talk?

Where are the trucks?
The roof is on fire!

OK, you need to find shelter.

Is there a safe
place you can get to?

There is no safe place.
The whole house is burning!

Listen, you need
woollen blankets,

dry, not wet.

You need to get underneath them.

We've got blankets.
What we need is trucks!

You need to keep
calm and stay low.

When will they get here?!

I'm sorry, but we currently have

no available appliances
in responding distance.

No, they... they...

Um, they said that
a truck was coming.

We are unable to respond
to your call at this time.

If, uh, an appliance does
become available, we will...

Oh, FUCK!

We're on our own.

OK.

OK, come on.

Come on. Crying's
not gonna help.

Hey, listen.

Hey.

The ute... I don't
think I... I can't.

I don't think I can
do it. I can't do it.

Hey.

It's 100 metres and
we can make it, mm?

No, it's... it's too late to
leave. That's what you said.

And what...
what about the...

Oh!

I'm not dying in here.

Oh...

You don't stop for anything.

Go!

Oh, fuck!

Holy fuck.

Oh, my God!

Oh, God!

Oh, my God. Come on! Let's go!

Go! Go! Go!

We made it!

We did it, Ruth. You got us out.

Hey, let's go to town.

Find somewhere safe.

Ruth?

You do whatever you want.

I don't care.

What happened?
We got out.

Oh, shit! Hey, you right?

Yeah, we're right.

Your place?

Yeah, yeah.

So West Curran's gone
up now? Jesus Christ!

We need to get out of here.

We need to get down
to the coast, yeah?

They've been up all night.

I couldn't get
onto Leo and Maria.

Grab the ladies some
water, would you?

Back kitchenette,
cups above the sink.

Give us a hand, babe.

For God's sake, take a load off.

Where's your family?
They alright?

Uh, the evacuation
centre down the coast.

I sent them there a
couple of days ago.

Where was our warning? Ruth...

No, you're on the
council, Rollo! If you...

It doesn't give me a
direct line to God, Ruth.

Hey, here you
go, mate. Here.

Hey. Thanks.

It's too
intense. We're pulling back.

Did you get the rest of
your critters out, hon?

We were in the middle of
rehoming them when it hit.

Aww...

Poor little fella.

Yeah, we had to let
the rest of them go.

Some of them were just babies.

Did you have a good
Chrissie at least?

Did we have a good
Chrissie, Ruth?

Don't, Nawra.

Sorry. Did I say something?

No, no.

Sorry. We broke up.

Far out.

Timing.

Yeah.

Borriga Pumper, please report.

Do you have a
sitrep... Hey, Greg?

Um, Blue Wren Road, mate,
did you get anyone in?

The council tried.
They got pushed back.

Nobody can get through.

Queensland could have got there.

Copy that, Kuara.

Please report.

Dumont ICC
Operations from Strike Team QFB 04.

Come in, Queensland.

Uh, we've assessed
the nursing home.

There's good clearance all
around. No immediate threat.

We advise they stay in and just
call in again if there's a threat.

We had a
report of visible flames.

I think they just got spooked.

Wait. Valla was a bust?

Also, reporting
the team member

has been picked up by
medical support unit.

Copy that.

You can head to Curran
town and refuel.

The caller said they
could see the fire.

They were really distressed.

We couldn't get reports from
the ground so we had to...

That team should've been
sent to Blue Wren Road

when it still had a
chance to get in there.

We can't second-guess, Kip!

Well, now it's too
late, isn't it,

because someone saw
smoke and freaked out.

We can only go on the
information we're given.

They said there were
flames! You need a break?

No, mate, I don't need a break.

I need a fucking truck

when I've got two people
trapped in a burning house.

I can't pull trucks I don't
have! Well, we had one, Dell!

We had one. You took
it for a false alarm.

Borriga Pumper 2, please report.

Borriga
Pumper 2, loop back.

Can we find out if the
coast road's clear yet?

It's not a bloody two-way,
Macca. It's a scanner.

We need to get the kids out.

Huh, it's just gobbledegook.

Where are you gonna go?

Gonna wait here till
it's safe to go back.

Oh, for Godsakes,
there's nothing left!

And I need to check
on Leo and Maria.

What size boots do you take?

I don't know. Uh, nine or...

Request
backup at Borriga.

What's our local crew
doing in Borriga?

It's all I've got in your
size, but you know what?

I think they've got
your name on them.

Thanks.

Why aren't our crews here? What
are they doing 50 k's away?

We had frigging
Queenslanders come to ours.

All our crews got pulled.

There's something like a hundred
houses under threat up there.

My house was under threat!

They were heading to Blue
Wren, those Queenslanders.

I heard 'em.

Yeah, they... they
said someone was coming

and then they called
back and they...

They fuckin' abandoned us.

They're doing
the best they can.

Nobody knew it was
going to get this bad.

They bloody knew.

The government had plenty of
warning that this summer was coming.

It's the government's
fault again, right?

If they had even bothered to meet
with that group of fire chiefs,

they could've been
properly prepared.

Piss off, Ruth. You're not the
only one who's hurting here.

My place went up last night too

and I haven't been able to get out
there to see what's still standing

because I'm stuck
here with you lot.

Why didn't you say anything?

What for?

You gonna get me a hankie?

What was that?

The grid's down again.

I'll get the genny going.

Oh, my God!

Ruth, look.

Maria!

Oh...

It's all gone.

Where's Leo?

He went out the back
to check on the cows.

The fire just came tearing through
and Leo wasn't back with the ute

so I just put on my
boots and ran out.

Now, you need
something? You hungry?

Cup of tea?

Yeah.

Milk and two sugars,
and leave the bag in.

I shouldn't have left him, Ruth.

I should've stayed.

Hang on.

We need backup...

Now, this little fella really
likes to be close to someone.

Here you go.

Oh!

Hey?

He's a real snuggle-pie.

Hey, big sook.
Hello, beautiful.

You're safe, young one.

I don't have to go straightaway.

I mean, you'll need
to rebuild the cages,

all the injured wildlife...

The shelter won't be able
to cope with them all.

No, thanks.

It's a massive job.

And the house...

You hate paperwork.

I can cope.

Ruth...

I don't want you hanging around
here 'cause you feel sorry for me.

No, that's not it! No?
It's what it sounds like.

Why do you have to do that?

That first night
we were together,

do you remember what you said?

You said, "This
isn't gonna last."

Well, I was right, wasn't I?

You want to leave.

Because you have never given me

even the slightest hint
you'd care if I stayed.

Sorry. Look, I don't
mean to be a stickybeak.

But he's just wet.

I'll get something. Here.

Don't. What?

Push her away.

She's leaving me!

She's leaving because
you're impossible!

Everybody around here loves you,
Ruthie, but you don't make it easy.

So you're on her side too?

Hey, take a break.

Go on. Take a break.

I got it.

Last stop and then
we're home free.

Yeah, for five days.

I'm gonna sleep for half of 'em.

You better be
awake for New Year's

'cause we're going dancing.

Mmm...

Hey.

All good? Yep,
I'm fine. I'm fine.

How are you? What are you doing?
Making my meatloaf, your favourite.

Ohh! There's
enough for an army.

Bring Mott. He'll love that.

You OK?

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, I'm-I'm fine.
I'm just... tired.

I can't wait to see you.

I love you. I love you too.

Hey, Ruth!

Those Queenslanders, the ones
that abandoned you, they're here.

Bullshit.

Where the fuck were
you last night?! Sorry?

Blue Wren Road, your truck was
called to help us, and then what?

Hey, easy, what's going on?
We had another priority call.

You got out! Shit,
that's awesome.

Awesome?! Ruth, just...

We... we don't decide
what jobs to go to.

We were this close,
this fucking close.

Nearly didn't make it.
Hey, just back off.

OK, if you made it out, then
you should've reported it.

It's not her fault.
OK, whose fault is it?

Who is running this
show?! Just stop it, Ruth!

They're just kids!
Fuck off, Nawra!

Fuck off!

I'm really sorry. I'm so sorry.

Tash...

Tash, hey, hey, hey,
hey, hey.

Hey.

Ohhh. Just don't take
it personally, yeah?

How do I not?

You leaving? Yeah.

Yeah, heard on your scanner
the coast road's clear

so we're making a run for
the evacuation centre.

You got a spare seat in your
car? Oh, yeah, just the one.

Be a bit squishy,
but. It's not for me.

Dumont ICC Operations
from Strike Team QFB 04.

Come in,
Strike Team QFB 04.

Returning to station to be
relieved for changeover.

Copy that.

That Blue Wren priority call,
the residents made it out.

They were sheltering in a business
in town with a few others.

What's their condition?

Pissed as hell.

Yep, fair enough. Over.

That's good news.

Still mad at you.

Not as mad, though.

Oh, there we go.

No, can't hear the
radio.

One song.

You love Donna. Come on - Donna.
You and Donna go way back!

Come on, next line, next one,
ready? I don't know the lyrics.

Come on. You gotta
know the lyrics. No.

I got it. OK, OK, OK.

That's right. See?
Yeah, come on.

You packing?

That one's mine.

You wanted to go.

No, you decided that, like
you decide everything.

I loved you.

I still love you...
because I'm an idiot.

But don't worry,
I'll get over it.

Leo!

Oh, God, you're alright. Oh!

Oh, we thought...
Oh, you're alright!

Oh, you're alright. We...
Oh, we thought that...

Oh, God, it's good to see you!

Where's Maria?

Maria.

Maria!

Leo! Leo! Leo!

Oh, you stupid, stupid man.
I was so worried about you!

I dropped the bloody phone in
the mud, I couldn't call you.

We found him when we went up
to try and save their place.

Yeah, he and the poddy were
up to their necks in mud.

Daisy's new calf got stuck. I had
to hold his head above the water.

Can you imagine being so stupid
that you drown in a fire?

Is he alright? Yeah.

Ah, we've gotta get him to
hospital, get him checked out.

Oh, yeah, I've only
got the one seat spare.

He can take my space.

I'm not going anywhere
without this old thing.

Will you... Will you
stop fussing at me?!

Alright, well, looks like
the seat's yours again, Nawra.

Come on, let's go. Let's go.

I can't take Joey to the city.

I can handle
microwaving a bottle.

OK, Macca, stick
to the main roads.

Keep the radio on at all times.

And for God's sake, just be...

..just be careful, son.

Good luck.

No. Wait!

Wait! Wait! Stop.

Macca, Macca, stop,
stop. What now?

Um...

Where's that bottle again?

It's in the bag.

Alright. Gotta
get moving, Ruth.

Yeah. Um...

Um, how much of the formula?

A teaspoon in 100 mils. OK,
good, I always forget that.

Ruth, come on.

Can you just wait a... I'm...

I'm really hopeless
with a lot of stuff.

Yeah, you are.

Come with us, stay here,
I don't really care,

just... I've gotta drive.

I don't want you to go.

OK. Will you please stay, Nawra?

Please?

Didn't we meet
sitting in a gutter?

Yeah, outside the Prince. Mmm.

Classy
from the start, huh?

Yeah, you know it. Mmm.

So, uh, you wanna
come back to mine?

Mmmm.

I mean, the place is a bit
of a fixer-upper, but...

..apparently so am I.

Good bones, though. Yeah?

Yeah, I think we can
make something of it.

You do? Yeah, I do.

Shit.

Oh, fuck.

Greg!

Ah, wind change, south-west,
turning towards Curran.

Whoa,
where did that come from?

That's weird.

Fuck me, not again.

Alright, we have a Red Flag
Warning, please acknowledge.

Uh, wind change, south-west, 80.
Curran township under direct attack.

Inform and acknowledge. Pull
whatever you can from Borriga!

Pull 'em from anywhere you can!

Tillerton
sector commander,

all appliances
acknowledge Red Flag.

Copy that, Tillerton,
leave Borriga firegrounds.

Set up Curran exit control south
of the bridge. Curran under attack.

It'll be too late by the time they
get down there. We're the closest.

No! Come on, we're
on changeover, Tash.

But all those people in town.

You wanna let scary lady
have another go at you?

Mott! No!

Curran will hold until the
other crews get there, OK?

Mott...

Pleeeeease?

Fine.

Dumont ICC Operations
from Strike Team QFB 04,

we're heading back to Curran, we'll
set up control and send word back.

Copy that. And, hey, thank you. I
owe you a beer when this is over.

Yeah, make it a
keg. Copy that.

Get inside! Get inside!

We're gonna start wetting down!

Strike
Team QFB 04...

They're sending trucks. ..about
10 minutes away from Curran.

Report crews nearby.

That's the Queenslanders who
were here, the young ones.

Might as well have
dessert first.

Now, I know you and I haven't

exactly seen eye to
eye politically always,

but I like strawberry,
you like choc mint.

No-one likes choc mint, Rollo.

ICC Operations to Strike
Team QFB 04, please report.

Strike Team QFB 04...

Shit!

Holy shit!

Oh!

Strike Team QFB 04
from Dumont ICC Operations.

I didn't quite catch that last
bit. Could you please repeat?

Tash?

Queensland, repeat? Tash?

Queensland?

Come in, Queensland
Strike Team. Tash?

Tash? Tash?

I've lost the strike team.

I've got you. I've got you.

OK. OK.

Tash?

Tash?!

Tash?

Come on. Come on. Hey.

Hey. Look at me. Look at me.

Hey.

I can't feel my...

Tash, it's alright.
It's alright.

Don't move, don't move, don't
move. I can't move my...

I'm gonna radio them
for help, OK? Yeah?

Thanks.

Tash?

Tash, stay awake.

Tash, stay with me.

Tash!

Oh, shit.

Come in, Dumont
ICC...

Fuck! Ahhh! Emergency.

The truck slipped,
impact, the crew leader...

Tash is hurt real bad and we
need help, OK?! We need help!

Keep him calm. OK.

Ask if she's
breathing. Alright.

Hello. Ambulance, please.

Is she breathing? Ah, I
don't know. I think so.

Hang on.

Ah, w-what's your location?

I don't know.

Just... just a road... road name, an
intersection, a landmark, anything.

Um, we crossed a bridge
not too long ago.

I know that spot.

She's not breathing.

Anderson's Road, about
2km north of the highway.

Ambos on their way.

You're gonna have
to give her CPR.

I can talk you through it
until the ambos get there.

OK, so what you need to do is...
is push down on the chest hard,

do 30 compressions,
then two breaths.

OK.

How about you count aloud so
I can count with you, mate?

OK. 30... 30 compressions.

One, two, three, four,

five, six, seven, eight, nine...

10, 11, 12,

13, 14,

15, 16, 17, 18, 19...

20, 21, 22... 20, 21, 22, 23,

24, 25, 26, 27, 28,

29, 30.

Now go for another round.

Compressions, OK? Let's go.

Come on, Tash, one,
two... One, two...

..three, four,

five, six, seven...

Elev...

Tash?

Hey? Hey, Tash.

Please...
please breathe.

Please.

Please breathe.

It's OK, I got you.

I got you.

I got you.

Curran
Sector Command,

Tanker 1 approaching
Curran, ETA five minutes.

Copy that, Curran.

Set up control and
send word back.

Uh, Tillerton Command,
please report location.

Copy that.
Dumont ICC Operations.

It was a case of every
man and woman for themselves

when a group in the
small community of Curran

managed to survive by
sheltering in a local shop,

protected by a DIY firefighting
unit until help arrived.

There's been some
international criticism

of Australia's
response to the fires.

What do you say to
that? ROLLO: Yeah.

Well, no-one would've known the
scale these fires were gonna reach.

Oh, they knew, Rollo! MAN:
Look around you, mate!

Is there something
you'd like to say?

It's not the time
for politics, Ruth.

You...

People here are doing
everything they can.

They're fighting.

But that's not enough,
the... This is too big.

Our home burned down around us.

We didn't think that
we were gonna get out.

Our neighbours, our
friends, they've got NOTHING left.

They've got nowhere to go.

It's the same with the animals,
all the beautiful wild animals.

Their... their habitat
is completely destroyed.

And people are dying,
like really young people,

before they've even had a life.

I... Wh... Yeah.

I mean, how bad
does it have to get

before somebody actually
does something?!

Isn't this enough?! Isn't it?!

This is
an emergency warning.

There is a bushfire to the
west that is out of control.

Move to the beach or the wharf!

Baba! Mama!

I lost my parents and
now I can't find them.

I've gotta protect my place.
I can't stay with her.

We need to get a message
out. You want me to help you?

A large cloud formed by the
fire is cutting out the light.

Adut! Come on! It's
safer in the water.

The fire's hitting houses
on the outskirts of town.

I can't look after you, kid!

The fire was right at the
back. We're gonna help you.

Hold on, everyone,
and good luck.