A video has surfaced that documented what must have been a terrifying ordeal for fire engine crews that were working on a bushfire in South Australia on November 25, 2015. As they were responding to the fire the 90km/h (55mph) wind shifted, catching them by surprise and overrunning their position.
In the video (which you can see here) a fire official said the rapid rate of spread through recently cut, dried, agricultural stubble helped the firefighters by moving the fire past their location relatively quickly. The exposure to extreme heat was less than if heavier fuel had been present.
Many of the wildland fire engines in Australia have protection systems that discharge water through nozzles around the entire truck. The two firefighters that left the vehicle to start the pump may have been attempting to activate the system.
Thankfully there were no injuries.
