Wadbilliga National Park, NSW, Australia – Aerial footage captured by the NSW Rural Fire Service on January 13, 2026, shows the Brassknocker Fire raging across remote bushland on the Far South Coast.

Filmed from inside a helicopter, the video gives a first-person perspective as the aircraft circles the blaze. The rotor blades are visible in the foreground while thick white and brown smoke rises from the burning hillside, forming towering columns that obscure distant views. Flames flicker along the fire’s edges, consuming vegetation near winding dirt fire trails that cut through the rugged terrain.

Overlaid text in the video asks, “Ever wondered what it’s like to fly around a fire?” with subtitles resembling song lyrics, adding an artistic touch to the intense scene of smoke shifting with the wind. The caption notes the footage shows the view from the Air Attack Supervisor as the aircraft circles the Brassknocker Fire in remote NSW Far South Coast terrain.

The Brassknocker Fire ignited on January 7, 2026, likely caused by dry lightning about 20 km northwest of Cobargo. By January 13, it had grown to more than 3,500 hectares due to strategic backburning, which expanded the fire’s footprint to create containment lines and reduce fuel loads.

NSW Rural Fire Service crews, assisted by aircraft, conducted patrols and backburns under eased conditions. The fire was classified as “being controlled,” posing no immediate threat to properties or communities. No injuries or structural damage were reported. Authorities emphasized that proactive management and preparation have kept this fire from escalating like the 2019-20 Black Summer fires.

The footage, captured on January 10, has been widely shared to illustrate firefighting efforts and has received international coverage.

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