Fire is one of the most destructive and deadly forces known to man. A single spark can turn into a raging inferno, and uncontrolled fires can cause extraordinary chaos, wiping out entire towns and huge swathes of nature, leaving nothing left standing in their wake. And that’s why we can’t ever underestimate the incredible courage it takes for firefighters to stand up and battle the blazes to save lives and protect their communities. It’s only natural that such strenuous and risky work can take its toll on a person, as it did to this man.
Aaron Cox is a firefighter in Queensland, Australia. Aaron’s wife, Bindi, captured the image above and shared it on social media, where it has touched the hearts of countless people around the world.
The image shows Aaron, head in hands, completely exhausted and overwhelmed after one of the most stressful and intense experiences of his entire life, reminding us that even though firefighters are seen almost like superheroes in the eyes of many, they’re human beings underneath, with the same fears and emotions as the rest of us.
Australia often has to deal with extreme conditions, and recent hot temperatures and high winds have caused a lot of bushfires to spread around southern Queensland, causing carnage and chaos all over the state.
Dozens of fires have been raging, but they’ve finally started to die down in the last week or so, as people start to assess the damage done and commence the long process of rebuilding their lives and communities.
A total of 17 houses have been destroyed, according to the latest reports, but the devastation could have been even worse, if not for the brave efforts of firefighters like Aaron.
A volunteer firefighter, Aaron bravely headed out to tackle the raging flames in Tenterfield, over the border in New South Wales.
He spent a couple of days out there, working to fight back against the fire and save people’s properties. Then, he got a call that there was another fire heading for his own house!
He’d only just got a chance to take a rest from constant firefighting, when he was called into action once again, and this time, it was his own home on the line.
Aaron headed home to do whatever he could to keep his house safe. Fortunately, other firefighters were in the area, and he had the support he needed to save his property.
The fire still got close enough to crack some windows on his home and send embers under the door, however, so it could have been a lot worse.
It was mere moments after the fire had passed by that Aaron’s wife snapped the photo, uploading it with the following caption, summing up his heroics quite beautifully and powerfully.
This is a man who has fought hard for his community since Friday and has just finished the epic fight to save his own house when he had nothing left in the tank to begin with. I know you think this photo makes you look vulnerable but in that moment we both felt this. No-one understands what a bushfire does to you until you have to fight.
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