Fires, Christmas Shelter

A mini-series premiere laced with trepidation. Lighting strikes and starts what is to become a long, hot and treacherous summer for young volunteer firefighters Tash and Mott.

Dairy farmers Kath and Duncan return to their farm in the aftermath of the fire while grief and blame threaten to tear the family apart.

Tash and Mott join the local fire-fighting effort in a small beachside community, as locals and tourists alike have to make the difficult decision of whether to stay or flee.

On Christmas Eve, Tash and Mott escort locals from a small rural community to a community hall for refuge from the fires.

The fire fronts merge, creating a "megafire", with no resources to fight it. As Ruth and Nawra, defend their home, conflicting priorities at the fire control centre leave them in peril.

An emotional finale. It's New Year's Eve. A usually picturesque holiday town looks like a war zone - as day turns to night, then the sky turns blood-red, people rush to the water's edge for safety.