An upcoming photo exhibition at Sydney's Stanley Street Gallery will celebrate the heroic efforts of volunteer firefighters during last year's devastating Blue Mountains Bush Fires.
A witness to the Australian spirit, multimedia journalist John Donegan spent a week with firefighters for 702 ABC Sydney as conditions intensified to catastrophic levels.
At the height of the fires, in October 2013 more than 100 fires were burning around NSW. The most devastating fires were centred in the Greater Blue Mountains area where more than 200 houses and other buildings were lost. Two deaths were attributed to the fires.
Intrigued by the art of portrait photography, Donegan’s images celebrate these individuals’ courage and commiserate with the many people who lost their homes.
Fighting Fire With Fire is on at the Stanley Street Gallery, 1/52-54 Stanley Street, Darlinghurst NSW from 26 February to 15 March 2014.
Flames are reflected in the goggles of an RFS volunteer as he undertakes back-burning in Faulconbridge, Wednesday 22 October. Photo by John Donegan/702 ABC Sydney.
RFS volunteer Paul Wilson is engulfed by flames after slipping over during the back-burning. Operation in Faulconbridge. Photo by John Donegan/702 ABC Sydney.
RFS volunteers take a break from the back-burning operation in Faulconbridge. Photo by John Donegan/702 ABC Sydney.
An RFS volunteer is illuminated only by flames as the back-burning operation continued through the night in Faulconbridge. Photo by John Donegan/702 ABC Sydney.
The threat has passed: volunteers from Warrimoo RFS play cricket in the grounds of Norman Lindsay House after the threat had been downgraded. Photo by John Donegan/702 ABC Sydney.