Late 2019 was a time of great loss for a lot of Australians, as bushfires raged across the country. But it was also a time when we saw some truly heroic efforts as people fought to save their homes and their mates. Ervin Blancaflor and his team were some of those heroes.
Ervin’s a member of Fire and Rescue NSW based out of Wyoming on the Central Coast. In December of last year, he and his team were called out to just south of Nowra, where they learned a fire truck was surrounded by the flames and in serious danger. The team leapt into action, driving through extreme conditions to try and reach their goal, but were forced to turn back when an ember storm erupted around them. Before long, Ervin found himself in a truck that was literally melting from the heat.
As they swung into action, Ervin managed to film the situation in a video which went viral around the country. The video shows a scene out of nightmares, with the outside of the truck obscured by embers and ash. It’s the kind of sight that could make anyone lose their cool, but by sticking to their training and working together Ervin and his team managed to pull through.
He described his experience to our own announcer Rob Nice in an interview on Show Radio. Sadly, the truck (pictured above) wasn’t as lucky as its occupants, but you can hear Ervin describe part of his ordeal below.
