The continent of Australia has grabbed headlines from the beginning of the year, but alas, not for the appropriate reasons. Since the end of 2019, a huge set of bushfires has engulfed the Australian continent and has not been yet tended to. The huge fires have caused destruction of around 26 million acres of land to be left burnt to the ground, along with 5,900 buildings rendered completely inhabitable. When it comes to the worst natural disasters ever to befall Australia, this set of bushfires can be said to rank as the worst.
While the complete trail of destruction of the fire is yet to be determined, Australia can breathe a sigh of relief as Doug Schutz and his team have finally decided to tend to the morbid affair in its entirety. Doug Schutz is part of an army that numbers around 72,000 personnel who are stationed across the whole state. They make up for the world’s biggest group of volunteers that are aimed at fighting devastating fires that threaten civilization. Schutz has volunteered with the Rural Fire Service and as Captain of the Tomerong brigade has been involved with fighting the devastating fire that is scrounging the Australian continent since its inception in September.
“I’ve lived here all my life and seen a lot of fires. And this one just doesn’t want to do what it’s supposed to do,” Schutz said. “This fire has its own agenda. In some ways, I nearly think it’s got a brain. When you think you’ve got a handle on it, it will sneak around the backdoor and bite you on the bum.”
To the local people, Schutz is a national hero, and rightfully so. While the current Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been widely ridiculed for his distant response towards the national disaster, Schutz has been on the frontlines since day one. Notably, like any other volunteer, Schutz and his team have not been paid a cent for their heroic work.
