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Synopsis

The ancient Australian landscape is home to one of the most dangerous killers on earth – bushfire. A small spark, caused by lightning or a careless human, can turn into a raging inferno in minutes. Left unchecked, it destroys everything in its path, leaving nothing but tragedy and a barren, charred landscape in its wake. In Australia over eight hundred people have died from bushfires. Thousands of homes have been reduced to ash and millions of animals destroyed. Billions of dollars of damage have been inflicted by these blazing holocausts.

Bushfire Wars is the story of the men and women from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Parks and Wildlife Service in Western Australia, who risk their lives to fight the scorching enemy. The battleground is the biggest in the world, covering millions of square kilometres of forests and bush land, all ready to explode into flames at any second. They combat the scorching enemy with the largest squadron of fire-spotting aircraft on the planet. Bombers attack the firestorm from the air. Armoured bulldozers assault the inferno from the ground. Troops of men and women fight the scorching enemy on foot. Their battle is relentless. It has to be; their enemy is a remorseless, unpredictable, and indiscriminate killer. Bushfire Wars is a world-first as specially ‘fire-trained’ camera crews go into the field alongside the bushfire fighters to capture the action. This landmark series will use state-of-the-art camera technology with forty fixed cameras on choppers, planes, bull dozers, four-wheel drives and body-cams to give viewers a terrifying and intimate window into a world rarely seen. Be immersed in the drama of these frontline heroes as the they stand together, risking life and limb to fight this deadly natural enemy in Bushfire Wars.

Photo credit Leighton De Barros

Watch the trailer

Production Information

Writers

Leighton De Barros

Jonathan Rowdon

Teresa Ashton-Graham

Director

Leighton De Barros

Series Producer

Leighton De Barros

Producers

Jodie De Barros

Executive Producers

Jodie De Barros

Leighton De Barros

Post Director

Jonathan Rowdon

Distributor

Earth Touch
Sea Dog TV International

Key Locations

Perth

Pinjar

Brigadoon

Mundaring-Weir

Sawyers Valley

Watheroo

Avon Valley National Park

Bells Rapids

John Forrest National Park

Pinjarra

Wungong

Director of Photography

Leighton De Barros

Senior Editor

Jonathan Rowdon

Editor

Teresa Ashton Graham

Online Editor & Colourist

Dean Edwards

John Sullivan

Narrator

Craig Weston

Graphics – CGI & VFX

Last Pixel – Dave McDonnell

Last Pixel – Fiorella Cocucci

Post-Sound Facilities

Soundbyte Studios

Audio Post Supervisor

Brad Habib

Audio Mix and Dialouge Editor

Josh Hogan

Sound Designer and Editor

Ned Beckley

Music By

Stuart Miller

A Natural and Manmade Threat

Bushfires can originate from both human activity and natural causes

With lightning the predominant natural source, accounting for about half of all ignitions in Australia. Fires of human origin currently account for the remainder and are classified as accidental, suspicious or deliberate.

Aerials of bushfire
Fixed Wing Water Bomber drop

Fire-Proof Cameramen

Bushfire Wars is a world-first as specially ‘fire-trained’ camera crews going into the field

…alongside the bush fire fighters to capture the action. This landmark series will use state-of-the-art camera technology with forty fixed cameras on choppers, planes, bull dozers, four wheel drives and body-cams to give viewers a terrifying and intimate window into a world rarely seen.

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Acknowledgement of Country

NGALA KAADITJ WHADJUK NOONGAR MOORT KEYEN KAADAK NIDJA BOODJA

 

We acknowledge Whadjuk Noongar people as the original custodians of the land on which the Screenwest office is located.

 

Screenwest acknowledges and pays respect to all Traditional Owners of Country across the State of Western Australia and their Elders, past, present and emerging. We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, spiritual beliefs and relationship to land and waters and acknowledge that they are of continuing importance to the people living today. We extend this respect to all Indigenous language groups.