SLUMPED in his header, Ian Hastings ignores the searing pain in his knees as he reaches for the UHF radio, dragging it up to his mouth.

He can see the flames from here, the fire front stretching about 700m wide and tearing through his barley crop.

The shock of what’s just happened is deep but there’s no time for that now.

Ian contacts his son, Michael, on the radio, directing him around the...