Parts of Australia have lived through 11 years of drought.

In communities at risk, volunteer rural fire services have been there for community support all along.

Volunteers from all walks of life drop their everyday lives when the risk of fire becomes a reality.

They are men and women from different cultural backgrounds, age groups and professions: rural fire brigades reflect every local community.

These volunteers do amazing things.

In early 2007 bush fires hit north-east Victoria. John Valcich, a Country Fire Service volunteer for 20 years and the captain of the Tolmie fire brigade was fighting the fires to protect his community when he had to leave his volunteer work to save his own property.

The year before the Tolmie district was hit by two fires; the second being more ferocious. "It was much more intensive…it was a real bushfire," John says speaking to the ABC in Ballarat.

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Saving the property of others while saving his own
Last Update: Thursday, November 1, 2007. 12:03pm AEDT
ABC BALLARAT: by Jacqui Peake

John Valcich, has been a Country Fire Service volunteer for 20 years.

He's the captain of the Tolmie fire brigade in north-east Victoria and was fighting fires last season, when he had to leave his volunteer work to save his own property.

As the captain of the brigade, he worked mostly from a command post set up in the Tolmie district, which was hit by two fires last summer; the second being more ferocious. "It was much more intensive…it was a real bushfire," John says.

He left his duties momentarily to check on his own property, which he had prepared for fire, to see spotting happening in the front paddock.

He stayed there until the fire passed. "Our house is about 30 or 40 metres from the actual bush-line," he says. But the family was prepared: "I had mist sprinklers and we're on solar power, but we had a petrol pump as well to spray water inside the house, inside the ceiling space," he says. "Once the fire had gone through, we went outside and put out the fires around the building."

In the fire, John's family lost their main machinery said, but he understands that a decision needs to be made about what to save.

After 20 years in the fire service, he has fought many fires, and dealt with the threat to his own property with a cool and calm head. "You've just got to do the job," he says. "People react differently, and this is one of the big things when we're doing talks on fire…the way I react in an emergency situation may be different to other people."

He's a strong advocate for preparation and says it saves homes. "In Tolmie we didn't lose a house that was actively defended… if you prepare your house, and you've got everything prepared…there's a very good chance you're going to save your house," he says. "People save houses and houses save people."