Fireflies

The smell of smoke and Lost River is enveloped in an eerie haze. Newcomer to the town, Lill, is anxious. Her husband Perry is at work and she is out alone on their 25-hectare once weekender. She doesn’t know how far away the fire is and doesn’t want to look a fool by calling for help. Finally a neighbour visits Lill’s house and re-assures her that the fire is 15km away and has been brought under control. But that night, Lill can’t sleep. She gets up and follows the glow of the distant fire. Eventually finding it beside the road north of town, she watches the amazing firies in action. Lill realises that belonging and surviving in this community means belonging to the RFS. The community of Lost River needs volunteers, the small town heroes without whom so many country towns would wither and die. There’s the captain, “Backa” Burke, everybody’s mate. There’s Joey, Mr Responsibility, with a serious demeanour that belies his youth. There’s Joey’s gorgeous girlfriend Fifi, a member of the notorious Sharp family, a family who knows no fear. There’s the equipment officer, silent Eris with the angelic singing voice. There’s lads and lasses and blokes in their 50s. Then Old Peg Beecher smashes her car and needs a lift to her CWA meeting, and the only one who can do it is Lill. Lill expected that being part of the community would be hard work, but she didn’t know you had to be a saint to even make a start! Meanwhile, the fire that they thought was put out is still smouldering, and Lill’s worst nightmare comes true. Even one bad fire can kill-but this time they’ll be fighting on two fronts.

The Fireflies continue their work to fight against the raging fire.

Lost River is in recovery from a devastating fire that nearly took the lives of some of their best firefighters and local farmers. Perry struggles to come to terms with the loss of his home, while Lill and his daughter Taz rival for his attention. Meanwhile tension mounts between Joey and Fifi over Fifi’s actions concerning their baby. Luisa learns that her secret love affair with the local cop Mike, is no longer a secret. It all comes to a head when Rebekah Sharp turns up and announces that Luisa’s husband Eris was inside a fire truck engulfed by flames. Suddenly Luisa realises that a lot more people know about her affair than she thought. She rushes to be with Eris who is feeling lost and alone. Backa is trying to deliver on his promise to be “there” for his wife Svettie, but his fire crew has been traumatised and there’s counselling to be done.

Gossip is spreading like wildfire through town about the fire brigade officer Eris Parsons shooting his dog. Eris and his wife Luisa aren’t around to set the record straight, they’ve gone into hiding. Seems like everyone in Lost River has something they’re trying to escape from. Svettie is trying not to drown in her problems. Her husband’s uncle Jeff is holding the purse strings of her family’s finances and she’s tired of husband Backa not standing up for her. She runs away to a seaside hotel for a night of something she desperately needs; pampering. While she’s away Backa must juggle his family and work life with the captaincy of the Lost River Rural Fire Brigade and it’s no easy task. Backa’s younger brother Joey has returned to Lost River for Fifi and their unborn baby. But things aren’t the same anymore and the couple can’t seem to connect. Joey retreats to a caravan in order to figure his life out. Meanwhile children’s book illustrator Lill is finding it increasingly difficult to reconcile work with the commitments that come with being part of the Lost River community and when her business partner KC arrives from Sydney, Lill realises she can’t escape. But there are other distractions in the form of firefighting and after accompanying Backa to the scene of a potentially dangerous fire Lill is hooked.

One of the realities of living in the bush is making the best out of a bad situation, which Lill and Perry are learning to do fast. Their shed has been overrun with rats, Perry is working on rebuilding their dream house after it was destroyed by fire and Lill struggles to meet an urgent work deadline in the surrounding chaos. It seems the world is conspiring against her. A regular commitment to drive Peg Beecher on a couple of errands turns into a lengthy nightmare when Peg falls sick and needs to get to a hospital. Backa is down at the station to receive the brigade's new fire truck. He is worried about crew numbers and pushes fire control officer Bryce to do a Basic Firefighting Course so Lill and the other recruits are trained up before the bush fire danger period really hits. Uncle Jeff has seized control of Backa and Svettie's finances and insists that Svettie undergo a weekly inquisition on the books. She comes up with a plan to make money so she can get her family out of Jeff's clutches. For this she needs the help of friends Sharpie and Rebekah, but it's not without risk. Fifi attempts a reconciliation with Joey but he's still confused by her previous behaviour and turns her away. Alone in her room, Fifi contemplates life as a single mother and how it will affect her future.

Backa and Svettie each have a vision for their financial future. Unfortunately they are vastly different. And they are both about to make a deal with the devil. Svettie wants to invest in a marijuana crop with Sharpie but for now, she's keeping it a secret from her husband. Sharpie is less than thrilled with the prospect of going into business with an inexperienced mother of two and sets out to train her in the art of Basic Dope Growing. Things look set to fall apart when a local cop gets wind of what they're up to. Backa has his own training project to manage: Basic Fire Fighting for the new Lost River firies, but he has other things on his mind too. Backa's got that stuck feeling: he's living in a shop when he was born for the land. Taking the initiative to realise his dream, he pays a visit to Uncle Jeff to cut a deal over the family property - but he's keeping it a secret too. For Lill, the fire fighting course gives her a glimpse of the service she has joined and she's not sure if she's cut out for it. While Lill's away learning how to fight fires, Perry continues to rebuild his cave, the mud brick masterpiece. Patto is onsite to help with the job but it's not all smooth sailing. When Patto tries to teach Perry a few tips of the trade, tempers flare.

Fifi has to deal with her unpredictable brother Hank who has just returned from prison and has a different story to tell to everyone he meets. But it's Fifi he's most interested in and when he visits her at work she's again reminded of what a different person she's become since he left. Back at home the Sharp family try to welcome this free radical element as Hank tries to wheedle his way back into Fifi's life. Later that night she finds herself in an unexpected kiss with Joey. Lill and Perry are trying hard to deal with Taz, Perry's moody teenage daughter who's arrived for the holidays. She's travelled with Hank on the bus up to Lost River and has heard his stories of brutal prison life. She clashes with Lill over everything and confronts her father with her palpable distaste for her stepmother. In his Fox Cove office, Perry begins Anger Management sessions with Hank and is soon alerted to the strange pathology that consumes him. Lill prepares for the fire controlled Hazard Reduction but is unprepared for the discovery she makes when she and Svettie clean out Peg's house. Left on her own she finds a hatbox of letters that bring up a traumatic, damaging event in her own life. An argument with Taz leads to her confiding in Perry and eventually to confronting Peg. Backa struggles with the responsibilities of a dangerous burn-off and the knowledge that his deal with his Uncle Jeff may well betray his brother. Every little thing seems to go wrong on the day. Backa is left with a headache and a sinking feeling that his problems will re-emerge. It's only a matter of time.

The Lost River rodeo could be the last throw of the dice for Backa and Svettie's shop. Stocked up for their biggest annual trading day, they hope to pay off their immediate debt and avoid the bank foreclosing, but the news of fires down south keeps Backa and Svettie stretched between hope and despair. Confronted with imminent failure, Backa finally tells Svettie about his deal with Uncle Jeff - a job, a home and a future, under Uncle Jeff's roof and his control. The foretaste of disaster opens them to each other, but neither can see a happy ending for the family. Taz wants a driving lesson but Perry is busy and suggests she practice by herself on the property. After an argument, Taz drives off towards town. She returns in shock, telling Perry she has knocked over a cowboy. Perry takes control of the situation and they search for any sign of a person being run down but find only a cowboy hat. They search the rodeo ground and call the hospital - no injuries have been reported. Perry's not sure what to believe. With Backa busy at the shop, Joey, Fifi and Lill work the rodeo car park, a traditional firies' fundraiser. When the town girls ask Joey whether he is on the market, Fifi takes it as an opportunity to tease. Even Luisa revs up Joey with a bit of flirting. Joey is as confused as ever by Fifi's behaviour, until they kiss and make up. Uncle Jeff brings the bad news of fires; the roads are closed, the rodeo is cancelled and it seems like Backa and Svettie have no choice but to accept his deal or leave Lost River. But while Backa goes to the rodeo ground to tell Joey, Svettie negotiates a dangerous loan from Sharpie and convinces Backa the money has come from selling off milking machine parts stored in their shed.

In a last bid attempt to save her failing shop and keep her family together Svettie has borrowed a large amount of cash from a loan shark. But she's keeping it a secret from Backa, telling him the sudden injection of funds has come from the sale of some milking machinery stored in their back shed. Now they're on easy street, for a while at least. In a mood to celebrate Backa and Svettie have the best day they've had in months, even years! The day soon heats up toward boiling point. At the Sharp's a lazy summer barbecue descends into chaos. Eldest son Hank has returned to Lost River and he's ready to cause as much trouble as possible - especially for Fifi. Hank can't forgive the fact that his younger sister is now all grown up and responsible and pushes to find the bad girl he farewelled when he went to jail three years ago. When Rolly Patterson arrives mid-party and makes a beeline for Fifi it seems Hank might get to see the old Fifi after all. There are others for Hank to 'play' with too, in the shape of Kieran and his girlfriend Noodle and when Perry's daughter Taz turns up, it's open season... Perry and Lill arrive at the scene to pick up a distraught Taz and it leaves Perry with a sinking feeling. Is he ready to become a parent the second time around? For Lill, one of the core promises of their relationship has been broken.

It's the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and the fourth anniversary of the death of Jeff's teenage son Damien. It's always been a long day for Jeff and today is no different as he wakes with a feeling of dread and sadness. Things only get worse when Damien's old girlfriend Fifi arrives at the house to present Jeff with Damien's battered old guitar which she's held on to for all this time. Jeff receives the guitar in bad grace and continues to alienate the remaining family he has around him - particularly Joey, who asks Jeff if he can have some cattle he has been promised. Jeff refuses his nephew's request, as always, in an attempt to control his destiny. However, with a little strategic advice and help from older brother Backa, Joey takes back what is rightly his. On a mission from hell, Jeff clashes bitterly with Svettie insisting that young Carter is sent to boarding school instead of the local Fox Cove High. But Svettie is resolute; she wants her son beside her always. Meanwhile Lill is doing her best to avoid her own relationship problems. She abandons her home for the day, seeking a bit of light relief with the Lost River firies, particularly Joey. Perry is also struggling with his relationship and takes his tension out on his P.A.

In the midst of the Lost River Christmas carols, Backa gets a call. A Section 44 has been declared in Shoalhaven and Backa is asked to join a strike team travelling down to help fight the fires. Despite Svettie's unease and Carter's misery at his father leaving, Backa decides to take a crew. It doesn't take long to find volunteers - Joey, Eris, Luisa and Kieran are eager to depart. Lill, realising that seventy-two hours away would give her a break from Perry, is suddenly ready to sign up too. As the Lost River fire brigade prepares for a long hot Christmas away, their families prepare to celebrate as best they can without their loved ones. Svettie can't shake off a feeling of impending doom and it's only made worse when Sharpie informs her their cash crop is dying from lack of rain. They devise a plan to get much needed water to their plantation, but it's one that involves 'borrowing' a big red fire truck. The Lost River brigade is keen for action, but when they arrive down south, they're told to stand by and wait. With a bit of time on their hands, it is the action off the fire ground that is the focus of attention, and there is a surprise moment of passion between two of our favourite firies. Some strategic planning pays off for Backa when the Lost River crew is able to save property and lives.

After battling huge fires down the south coast, the firies return to Lost River. They might have been away for Christmas but they're determined to make up for it when they get home. Joey is on a mission, looking for steady work. He finds a job as a deck hand with the owner of a fishing trawler. After a few nights out at sea the two men bond and Joey gets some invaluable advice from his new boss that may help to turn his life around. He decides to give it one more try with Fifi and goes to her with a definite plan. Meanwhile, Fifi's career in the Rural Fire Service is under threat when she discovers that Sharpie and Svettie 'borrowed' a fire truck to water their cash crop. Backa smells a rat and gives Fifi a grilling. Will she give up her father and Svettie? Lill rushes home to be with Perry and get their relationship back on track, however, she's still hurt and subconsciously pushes him away, and he knows it; especially once he realises his wife is spending more time with the fire brigade than with him. When Backa and Lill are rostered on to do some routine work down at the station, what is meant to be a 30-minute job turns into an eternity when they are called out to a motor vehicle accident. Perry is drunk and angry when Lill returns home. Life is getting complicated. Word is out that developers are coming over the rise with a plan to build a giant golf course and resort and everyone must face the fact that their town may be changed forever.

Lill's newly published children's book arrives and she prepares to test it out on the kids of Lost River. Surrounded by children at play and talking through issues of motherhood with her female friends, Lill is forced to confront her desire for a child. But it's Perry who brings the matter out into the open when he asks Lill an important question about their relationship. Sharpie and Rebekah decide to get Joey and Fifi a new bed now that Joey has moved in with the Sharps. Sharpie does a deal with an old mate and scams a free bed for them. The 'honeymoon' period is short and sweet for Fifi and Joey but with a little peppermint oil, some vinegar and a new set of sheets, they sort themselves out and clear the air. The Twelfth Green Developments group holds a public meeting to address community concerns about the golf course and resort intended for Lost River. Backa and Svettie want to work with the developers, claiming the project will bring economic benefit to the town. Perry, Lill and especially Eris have a different take on the matter though, questioning the motives and plans of the consortium. Backa and Eris begin a public argument over the future of their town and community. But the two men have a reality check when they are called out to investigate a gas smell. What they discover puts everything into perspective.

Lill and Svettie have been living it up at Lill's "Which Witch?" children's book launch in Sydney and are on a road trip back to Lost River. As the two women bond, Lill reveals information about herself that shocks Svettie and she begins to see Lill in a new light. Meanwhile Hank Sharp has also returned from Sydney, only this time he's not alone. With him are two dodgy looking 'mates' who are seen around town acting very suspiciously. Perry is angry at Hank for absconding from his weekly anger management sessions and threatens to report Hank to his parole officer. But Hank has a card up his sleeve, which involves blackmailing Perry for covering up the possibility that his daughter Taz may have been responsible for a hit and run car accident. Later Perry finds his car vandalised and during a confrontation with Hank about the matter, Hank then reveals he was seeing Taz in Sydney. It's the final insult for Perry, who angrily lunges at Hank, landing a clumsy punch to the side of his head. Hank is actually thrilled - it's just another piece of ammunition to use against his counsellor. Hank arrives back home to a family who are all a little wary of him. Especially once they realise that Hank and his sidekicks may be planning a crime. Fifi knows it will be impossible to stop her brother from continuing on his destructive path. It upsets her even more when she realises Hank is reeling Kieran into his world. For Fifi it marks a moment, which brings her closer to Joey and towards planning their future together as a new family unit.

Fifi has a new job at the Fire Control Centre and Joey is already doing the maths working out what sort of property they could buy with the extra money. For now though, they’ll have to put up with living at the Sharps-with little privacy and dealing with Hank on a daily basis. When Fifi takes a call about a factory fire, the Lost River brigade is quickly called out. Joey has just come in from a night shift on the prawn trawler but he’s determined to go straight out to fight the fire, much to Fifi’s concern. The factory is ablaze and the firies are stuck inside searching for a missing squatter and a dog. Joey is exhausted and stops for a moment too long, just as stored paint tins begin to explode. Fifi knows Joey is inside, but she is helpless on the other end of the line. The crews manage to drag themselves out, but with some bad news. Meanwhile, Lill realises there will be no changing Perry’s mind about having children, but she is not yet ready to give up on the idea for herself. If neither compromise, where will this lead? Things only get worse when Perry’s ex-wife, Janine, calls to say that Taz has run away from home to be with Hank. Perry and Janine revisit their roles as parents, going to the Sharps to find Taz in tears after Hank has rejected her. Lill gets home after a long day at the factory fire to find Perry and his first family ensconced in a domestic situation-it’s all a little too close for comfort for Lill. Suddenly a night on a bunk bed down at the fire station is looking like a mighty good alternative… Russell Newman|Peter Lamb|Helen O'Leary as Luisa, Bradley Byquar as Patto, Rhonda Doyle as Ali, Stephen Leeder as Bryce, Robert Carlton as Kevvie Holman, Mary Regan as Janine Luscombe, Karissa Lane as Skye, Andrew James as Brian Turnbull, Damian Eggleston as Attwood firie, Edmund Cinis as Carter, Keeara Byrnes as Candy

Backa dusts off his suit for a lunch meeting with the golf course developers. What Backa doesn’t know is that they need 40ha of Uncle Jeff’s property for their prospective resort. Backa is surprised to find an old school friend, Sam O’Donnell in attendance. Sam is consulting as a lawyer for the group and has been enlisted to get Backa to convince Jeff to sell. As the two men reminisce over old days, Backa learns the real reason he’s being wined and dined. And there’s a sweetener on offer-they’ll buy the craft shop if he talks Jeff into selling. But Backa’s father’s ashes have been scattered on part of the 40ha and he’s left with a real dilemma. Svettie is thrilled, thinking they’ll be rid of the shop once and for all. Lill decides to escape to a girls’ afternoon in the pool, but it’s no holiday. When the women start gossiping, Luisa learns that her affair with Mike was not a secret after all and she was not the only one-at least seven other women in town, including Ali! In the middle of the revelations, Lill’s business partner, KC, turns up with some bad news for Lill. KC has been offered a job on an older children’s novel that does not require illustrations and wants to put their partnership on hold. Lill’s career prospects seem suddenly shaky. While Lill’s out, Perry and Patto decide to get the mud brick palace moving. Needing a few more hands, they’re off to the fire station to recruit Joey and Eris and the boys have their own afternoon getting stuck in the mud.

Peg is back. Escaping from her nursing home, she makes a beeline for her house only to find it's been rented out to the new doctor and his family. When Peg lands on Lill's doorstep, Lill decides to champion her cause, but she doesn't know what she's let herself in for. Peg's not happy, so it's tantrums all round when she avails herself of Lill and Perry's, then Backa and Svettie's hospitality. It's hard enough for everyone without having a grumpy Peg Beecher in the equation. Backa is agonising over whether to sell the homestead paddock that his father's ashes are on: will it betray his father's memory? While Svettie sympathises with his dilemma she knows they need the money and pushes him accordingly. Backa visits Joey to ask his advice, but Joey is furious that Backa would even contemplate doing such a thing. Meanwhile Lill and Perry are still trying to patch up their relationship as best they can. Fifi comes home to find Hank acting even more suspiciously than usual, and when he hands her over some cash she knows something is going on. At dinner the next night, the Sharps hear of a bookie robbery over the radio. While everyone suspects Hank, nothing is said. Hank is full of bravado and when he destroys a piece of Joey's property, Fifi is pushed over the edge. She will be forced to choose between her new life with Joey and her family.

For Svettie, the little Russian housewife come drug dealer, life is about to take a drastic turn. An old business acquaintance, Kim Porter, turns up and convinces Svettie to invest in an aquaculture development. Believing she’s ultimately securing a future for her family, Svettie finds the confidence to revisit Val, the ‘Lender of Last Resort’, who gives her the $25,000 to invest in the venture. Svettie feels like she’s finally on a winner. It’s only when Jeff unknowingly bursts her bubble, that Svettie realises her gamble was too great. Lill and Perry have reached a standoff in their relationship. Not knowing where to turn, and going stir crazy in the shed, Perry suggests they take a bush walk. It begins reasonably well, but ends in a strange game of fantasy where Lill reveals more than she intended. Meanwhile, Rebekah fears that Kieran may end up in prison after it becomes clear that he is starting to toughen up like his older brother Hank. Rebekah puts pressure on Sharpie to get Kieran away from Hank’s influence. When news of a bar job in Queensland comes through, Rebekah finds herself having to face one of her biggest fears: saying goodbye to her son to save him.

Perry’s moved into the mudbrick house and Lill is happy about that-or is she? During a drunken phone call with Perry’s ex-wife, Lill realises her relationship may really be over. Then the unravelling starts as her happiness turns and reality starts closing in. Can she live without Perry? It’s another hot day and a fire has started in the Tuza State forest. Fifi arrives at Firecom, to the chaos of fires already out of control. Conditions aren’t good-it’s expected to reach 41 degrees and the winds are fierce. All the brigades are on standby as Fire Control Officer Bryce Austin works out the strategies needed to overcome the fires before they link up and the wind pushes them towards Fox Cove. Fifi learns that Bryce will do everything he can to save Fox Cove, including putting his own house at risk. There’s smoke in Lost River but no fire, yet. Backa is at the fire station organising crews. He’s trying to be Captain in every way possible. But there’s pressure coming in from everywhere. He can’t help wondering why local policeman Mike Jones is sniffing around his wife. And there’s a southwesterly change expected which means the fires will close in around Lost River. Meanwhile Mike is closing in on Svettie and Sharpie’s dope crop. He’s torn between being the cop and living in a small country town where he has become familiar with the residents. It’s a fine line and Mike is still an outsider. But a secret is out about Mike and his world is about to close in on him too.

Lost River’s very existence is threatened in this gripping episode of Fireflies. Fearfully, Backa watches the fire trucks roll in to Lost River. Backa believes that it is less than 24 hours before the fires reach the village, and he expects they’ll come from the west as well as the predicted front to the east. Not only is the Lost River brigade fractured, but its members also insist on sniping in front of Divisional Commander Donna Bruce. Backa needs Donna to trust his judgement-they have to get out to the fires instead of waiting for more intelligence from Firecom. Svettie makes an unexpected visit to the station and learns that the fire may reach Deep Creek by nightfall. She alerts Sharpie, who enlists the help of his son Hank, to help harvest their Deep Creek plantation before the fire arrives. Meanwhile, Lill asks Perry for a truce until the fire has passed, but Perry refuses, accusing her of demanding his support while she destroys their marriage. He insists she has to learn to act on her own. Backa convinces Donna that the only way he can unite his brigade is to get them out to the fire ground. However, when they confront the raging fire, the flames have spread too far and Backa is forced to fall back to Deep Creek to backburn. Svettie, cut off from all communication, is in the middle of the area he intends to burn. Kieran, knowing where his father, brother and Svettie are, convinces Lill that they must warn them before they get trapped. When Lill becomes a hero on the fire ground, she realises maybe she’ll be able to survive on her own after all.

The fire front is racing into Lost River, it’s much bigger than they thought and the water pressure has failed. The trucks are going to have to relay back and forth to the dam at Sharpie’s to refill, and when they discover that Suzie’s place is burning inside the roof, Backa has to make a difficult call. No one said fighting fires on your own doorstep was easy. Meanwhile, Lill’s left Perry with a box and a question: “here’s somewhere to put a few precious things, just in case”, so what should he save? Joey’s thrown into the thick of things at the Sharps, with Hank being his usual infuriating self and Sharpie way too relaxed to be much good. Svettie knows exactly what to save-but what should she do first when she can’t leave the shop? It’s going to be a long day.

In the final hour of Fireflies, days have passed since the fires. Everyone is trying to return to normal and clean up the damage, but it’s not going to be easy. Lill tries her hand at spinning. She has a few CWA ladies over for a spinning session-nothing more meditative or calming, until Perry arrives and shocks her with the news that he’s changed his mind. After many arguments and tension, he has finally decided that he does want to have a baby with her. Now she really has something to meditate on while she spins her wool! Fifi and Joey are begrudgingly living with Uncle Jeff, but they’re hoping it’s only temporary. It’s got to be temporary. Just has to be. But Joey knows that with the fires gone and their caravan burnt out, Fifi’s going to have to reconcile with her family. It’s eating her up inside, and Uncle Jeff’s icy deal making isn’t helping. Sharpie’s just getting by. His house was saved, but now he’s got a son on the critical list in hospital, another son who wants to marry his 15-year-old girlfriend and a wife and daughter estranged from each other. Sharpie starts wondering where he went wrong. As for Backa, he just wants to give up the captaincy as he always promised Svettie and get on with his life. The only hitch is that no new captain is coming forward. He then discovers four cases of illegal cash crop in the back shed and at last the truth comes out, layer on layer of it-Svettie’s debts, Svettie’s lies, their real financial situation, the fish-farming investments. It’d be funny if it weren’t so shocking. And Constable Mike Jones is sniffing around, dropping hints. Backa’s convinced Mike knows about the drugs. But it’s a funny old world, as Lill realises she’s torn between the man she loves who’s promising her everything she ever wanted-and a married man who isn’t promising her anything. Maybe the secret is to see things clearly and stop fooling herself. Maybe the secret is to open her eyes and wait for the smoke to clear.