After a three-day deployment fighting bushfires in Tasmania, ACT Remote Area Firefighter Terry Dwyer was thrilled to be welcomed home on Wednesday with cuddles from his little girls Hannah and Emily.
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It was an Australia Day weekend the Gilmore father of two from RFS Jerrabomberra Brigade will never forget.
Dropped by helicopter into "no-man's land" near Strathgordon, an area flanked by national park, Mr Dwyer, ACT RFS Southern Brigade's Matt White from Tharwa and Monash man Harley McDonnell from ACT RFS Rivers Brigade worked side by side in dense scrub to protect valuable hydroelectricity assets in Lake Pedder.
"It's pretty hard to get to the country," Mr Dwyer said. "It was one of the toughest jobs physically that I've done. So you're glad to get that helicopter ride back to base."
The three men are the first to return home and recuperate of the 33 specialist ACT Rural Fire Service members deployed to Strathgordon, Zeehan and further north in Mole Creek since January 24.
With more than 50 fires burning across the western half of the state overstretched Tasmanian authorities put out a call for help and it's been answered by a 100-strong contingent of specialist interstate firefighters.
A sixth deployment of seven firefighters will arrive in Launceston on Sunday.
ACT RFS duty manager Mick Fitzgerald said there was plenty of will to assist but only so many qualified members in the territory.
Sustaining volunteer numbers was becoming a problem.
"A third of our qualified members have already been deployed and we are starting to run up against issues with availability," he said. "They all have to juggle work and family commitments too."
Blazes have caused unprecedented damage and many still burning pose a catastrophic risk to World Heritage protected wilderness areas.
Banding together aimed to protect some of the most extraordinary landscapes and valuable ecological zones on the planet and Mr White said crews on the ground understood what was at stake.
"The phrase used in briefings was 'end of species' if fires in some areas remain unchecked," he said.
Mr McDonnell said temperatures had cooled slightly in the five days they were there but carrying heavy packs filled with essential supplies through the smouldering rugged bushland made for hot and heavy work.
"It's hard to get boots on the ground there," he said. "The job requires experienced crews and there just aren't enough resources."
