9NewsAs the bushfires continue to rage in several parts of Australia, horrifying footage has revealed the shocking reality of just how quickly the blazes can take hold.
The clip recorded by Dunmore Rural Fire Brigade shows firefighters setting up property protection in Shoalhaven, New South Wales, before being forced to flee for their lives as the flames ravage the area in a matter of minutes.
It takes just three minutes for the previously clear area to be completely engulfed in flames, which would have killed the entire crew in a matter of moments.
You can watch the clip here:
Sharing the video on Twitter, 9News wrote:
This is how quickly a bushfire can overrun you. Within three minutes, fire crews at Shoalhaven in NSW, go from setting up for property protection to fleeing for their lives due to a change of wind. Always have your bushfire survival plan ready.
The footage was recorded 6.59pm on Saturday, January 4, earlier this year and was originally shared to Facebook by Dunmore Rural Fire Brigade, whose crew successfully managed to remove themselves from the dangerous area in the nick of time.
9NewsWriting on social media, Dunmore Rural Fire Brigade wrote:
This goes to show what happens in just over 3 minutes. The crew continues for another 9 minutes on the ground bringing a massive positive outcome, with a complete safe crew, protected truck and property saved. People are reminded to adhere to the warnings when given from the appropriate services as this is not a pleasant place to be when a fire impacts at any time, especially at short notice.
New South Wales State Premier Gladys Berejiklian has just announced an independent inquiry into the bushfires, promising to leave ‘no stone unturned’. The enquiry will explore the causes of the bushfires, while considering human activity and the impact of climate change.
Berejikian added she hoped the inquiry would allow the state ‘to learn from this season and the catastrophic conditions we’ve faced, and apply these learnings for the future’.
‘NSW is incredibly proud of the efforts of all our emergency services personnel and volunteers throughout this ongoing bushfire season, but the scale of these fires has been unprecedented and we must leave no stone unturned,’ she said.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.