Our story is about courage, community, and the quiet heroes who stand between Australians and the flames.

Across the country, when the summer heat rises and the bush begins to burn, thousands of ordinary people leave their homes, their families, and their everyday jobs to answer a call that has echoed through generations. They are farmers, teachers, tradies, retirees, and students. Together they form one of the largest volunteer firefighting forces in the world… the Rural Fire Service.

From its earliest days in small local bush fire brigades to the massive operations we see today during Australia’s worst fire seasons, the story of the RFS is really a story about neighbours helping neighbours, about resilience in the face of nature’s power, and about the remarkable spirit of communities determined to protect the land they love.

written and read by Cheralyn Darcey
The Nightline Australian Bedtime Story, weeknights at 11:10pm.