Bushfire! by Bindi Irwin

Author:Bindi Irwin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published: 2011-11-23T16:00:00+00:00

It was a tense wait for Richard, Bindi, and Rosie back near the fallen tree. The smoke was thick and the outside air temperature was super hot. It was uncomfortable just waiting in the van even with the air conditioning running. The animals really had to be kept cool.

Richard crouched in the back and moved from one animal to the next. He noticed that Bindi kept glancing out the front windshield to see if help had arrived yet.

“There’s an old saying: a watched pot never boils. Let’s keep busy. I need you both to help me while I tend to this roo. His injuries are serious, he’s gone into shock, and his vital signs are dropping fast. I wanted to wait until we got back to the hospital but he needs help now.”

Bindi was on the job. “What do you need us to do?”

Richard was busily sterilizing his hands as best he could. “Well, he’s going to need some IV fluid.”

Rosie and Bindi looked at him, wide-eyed.

“The surgery would have been better, but beggars can’t be choosers. Come on, girls. Hop to it.”

They sprang into action. Richard prepared a sterile area while giving orders to the girls to hand him instruments and help as much as possible while he attached the IV drip to the kangaroo. They watched anxiously.

Richard finished the operation and settled the kangaroo back into his crib. “We’ve helped this fellow out as much as we can for now, but he really needs to get to the hospital.”

Rosie turned to her dad. “Do you know how the fire was started?”

He shook his head. “Well, nine times out of ten it’s human carelessness. The firefighters suspect it was a campfire in a no-camping zone that got out of control.”

“That’s terrible. Why would anyone do that?” Rosie asked.

Richard shook his head. “I don’t know. People need to stick to areas that have been set aside for camping. And on a total fire ban day, there is no way they should have been lighting fires.” He turned his attention to a wallaby. “It’s an even harder lesson for the animals. They have lost a home as well as a food supply. It will take months and months for the bush to grow back.”

The loud toot of a horn got their attention. Bindi looked out the window to see the other rescue van pull up. Terri and Katie hopped out. Richard waved in relief.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see you both!” he called out.

Katie yelled back, “We’re happy to be here.”

“Are you girls okay?” Terri asked.

“We’re fine, Mum,” Bindi replied. “But we want to get these animals back to the hospital right away!”

Bindi and Rosie stayed in the van with the animals, watching the action through the front windshield. Terri, Katie, and the volunteers began their attack on the tree. Terri was giving instructions over the roar of the chain saws. They used chains attached to the four-wheel drive to begin hauling the large gum tree branches off the road.

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