After weeks of battling intense and devastating bushfires in the east coast state of New South Wales, Australian firefighters finally have something to celebrate: rain.
As 9News reported, the much-needed downpour was enough to prompt one relieved rescue team to dance and leap for joy as they praised the weather for finally being on their side.
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As of Wednesday morning, more than 163 fires were burning across NSW, and 75 of them were uncontained.
More than 2,200 firefighters have been deployed across the area in an effort to combat the raging bushfires and slow the rapid spread of the flames. However, there are increasing concerns as reports indicate an elevated fire danger on Saturday.
The country’s koala population had taken a devastating hit from the seemingly unstoppable fires.
Deborah Tabert, chairman of the Australian Koala Foundation, estimated that over 1,000 koalas have perished in the fires since they first began several weeks ago.
There is great fear that the fires have drastically impacted the already threatened koala population and habitats, with some claiming the species is ” functionally extinct .”
Last week, the black clouds hanging over NSW opened up and heavy rain finally fell on the raging bushfire.
Understandably, the sudden downpour was an immense relief to all those firefighters working nonstop to battle the blaze, and there were excited reactions all around.
Particularly among members of the Leongatha Fire Brigade.
A video of the grateful rescuers celebrating was uploaded to various social media sites.
On Facebook , the brigade’s official account shared the clip and wrote, “This is our crew in Rollands Plains in NSW at the moment with some very happy locals who have been on edge for over a month. This local has also been helping cook meals for all the firefighters and locals that have been forced from their homes for the past two weeks.”
Watch the full video below.
In the video, the crew’s excitement is palpable as they dance and jump for joy in the pouring rain.
The clip has since gone viral, amassing over 620,000 viewers and more than 10,000 shares.
“Thank goodness finally some relief for you all,” one user commented. “There is no doubt about the Aussie spirit.”
Another added, “Such a wonderful sight to see. Thank you to all the wonderful volunteer firefighters who came from everywhere to assist in these awful fires.”
While the heavy rainfall was a welcomed surprise, the relief was fairly short-lived.
A series of storms soon followed, leading to lightening strikes igniting more fires across the region.
An official impact assessment from NSW Rural Fire Service reports that a total of 559 homes have been destroyed during the two-week blaze and more than 9,400 buildings have been saved.
h/t: 9News
