Terrifying footage shows brave firefighters lashed by raging flames as they battle inferno – The Sun

A TERRIFYING video has captured the moment Australian firefighters were overrun by a huge inferno blaze and forced to seek shelter in their truck, as thousands more took refuge on beaches and boats.

A shaky handheld video has captured the ferocity of Australia’s bushfire crisis, showing firefighters struggling to see through the thick smoke as flames rage past them and surround their truck.

A message over the radio is heard: “We are retreating… fires on the road already.”

The firefighters are seen holding fire blankets over the window, preparing for the heat to burst through the glass.

The skies around them burn red as sparks of ember hit their vehicle.

Incredibly the brave emergency personnel all survived the incident, which occurred near Nowra in New South Wales.

Further south, approximately 4,000 people were forced to flee to the beach to escape the flames, while many took refuge on boats.

Thousands in Mallacoota, Victoria, sought refuge as the seaside town was threatened by one of the bushfires ravaging parts of Australia.

Country Fire Authority chief officer Steve Warrington said three strike teams were based in the town and were protecting residents.

He added: "It is pitch black. It is quite scary in that community. They right now are under threat. But we will hold our line and they will be saved and protected."

The premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, said there were plans to evacuate the trapped people by sea.

Victoria's fire authorities confirmed 43 structures, some of them homes, had been destroyed in East Gippsland.

There are currently eight fires burning at emergency level in East Gippsland, over 200,000 hectares.

A number of other towns are affected and Mr Andrews has called for help from the military and for more firefighters from the US and Canada.

All Australian states are under threat by the bushfires that have been devastating the country for months.

Scorching summer temperatures have combined with strong winds across land that, in many places, has been in drought for years.

Since the blazes began in September, five-million hectares of land has been lost – with some fire fronts stretching more than 600 miles – putting enormous pressure on firefighters.

Many of the firefighters are volunteers and have been battling the flames for many weeks.

Three firefighters have been killed in the fires, the latest being Samuel McPaul, 28, who died when his fire truck rolled over in strong winds at the scene of a blaze in New South Wales on Monday.

Mr McPaul had been married nearly 18 months and his wife Megan is expecting their first child in May.

Firefighters Geoffrey Keaton, 32, and Andrew O'Dwyer, 36, were killed earlier in December when their fire truck hit a tree and rolled over just south of Sydney

The Australian death toll currently stands at 12.

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