© 2026 ABC News

In response to one social media user's query if the crew members are safe, the Fire and Rescue service tweeted: \"Yes, the crew are ok.\"

The astonishing video was released as the authorities struggle to cope with wildfires burning through the Australia in recent weeks.

Wildfires have also raged across Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and Southern Australia, although the worst of the fires have been seen in New South Wales. There were 97 fires burning across New South Wales as of Monday.

Ecologists at the University of Sydney estimate that around 480 million animals have been killed in the bush fires, including 8,000 koalas. So far, 12 people have been confirmed dead during the crisis, while four were still missing.

Over 4,000 Australians were forced to take refuge by the beach in the town of Mallacoota on New Year's Eve, as the wildfires cut off crucial road access to prevent escaping.

\"PHOTO:
AFP via Getty Images
PHOTO: A tree burns on a residential property as bushfires hit the area around the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales on Dec. 31, 2019.
>

Emergency warnings remain in place for much of the country heading into the New Year.

#Emergency #Warnings in place tonight for multiple fires, with strong winds continuing to impact. Ppl should keep monitoring @NSWRFS as situation is evolving https://t.co/ts8CXJnjOq & watch for changes to conditions that may alter fire behaviour https://t.co/zfgOOhdOt6 #nswfires pic.twitter.com/CMg8eIAH0f

— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) December 31, 2019

Despite the devastating wildfires, New Year's Eve celebrations went ahead in Sydney, although over 200,000 people signed a petition to stop the event taking place. Huge clouds of smoke have been seen over Sydney in recent weeks with the national average temperature reaching the hottest on record -- a scorching 107.4 degrees Fahrenheit -- earlier in December.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/International/astonishing-video-shows-australian-fire-crew-survive-overrun/story?id=68002645","legacySlug":"/news/story/astonishing-video-shows-australian-fire-crew-survive-overrun-68002645","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"16:55","publishDate":"12-31-2019","updatedTime":"21:25","updatedDate":"01-02-2020","socialImage":{"alt":"A tree burns on a residential property as bushfires hit the area around the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales on Dec. 31, 2019.","credit":"AFP via Getty Images","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/International/australia-fires-1-gty-aa-191231_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"12/31/2019 16:55:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":68002645,"headline":"Australian fire crew escapes devastating bush fire","mediaAssetTitle":"AUSTRALIA FIREFIGHTERS ESCAPE","description":"Nearly 500 million animals are believed to have died during the crisis. ","duration":"1:00","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/12/191231_vod_australiafireandrescueMIX_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132055565","131830882","130993584"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 15, 2026","headline":"American influencer found dead in Tanzania","section":"News","slug":"/video/132055565","id":"132055565","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 8, 2026","headline":"Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","section":"News","slug":"/video/131830882","id":"131830882","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"March 12, 2026","headline":"Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","section":"News","slug":"/video/130993584","id":"130993584","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Australian fire crew escapes devastating bush fire","description":"Nearly 500 million animals are believed to have died during the crisis. ","duration":"1:00","uploadDate":"12-31-2019","publication":"12-31-2019","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/12/191231_vod_australiafireandrescueMIX_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/12/191231_vod_australiafireandrescueMIX_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/astonishing-video-shows-australian-fire-crew-survive-overrun-68002645"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131142257","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131046664","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131048076","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131033212","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"130999943","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"130971027","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Australian fire crew escapes devastating bush fire","pubTime":"11:55","pubDate":"12-31-2019","modTime":"16:25","modDate":"01-02-2020","taxonomyTags":"none","id":68002645,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Australian fire crew escapes devastating bush fire","mediaAssetTitle":"AUSTRALIA FIREFIGHTERS ESCAPE","videoId":68002645,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/astonishing-video-shows-australian-fire-crew-survive-overrun-68002645"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/68002645","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/68002645","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};