The pair used an RFS Land Rover for protection when an approaching fire caught them off guard.

A breach in the containment line had Mr Noble fighting spot fires down wind of the track they were on.

With their backs to the main fire front, the two men failed to notice a sudden change in wind direction.

 “The fire was on us much quicker than I expected,” Mr Noble said.

“Initially the flames were one-to-two meters high.”  Then all of a sudden it was on top of us with three-to-four meter flames.”  We quickly took up position on the lee side of the vehicle to protect us from the radiant heat.” I hurried Bruce into the Land Rover and used the hose to cool the vehicle.”

Mr Blanch said from that point, things  happened very quickly.

“It started to get bloody hot in there,” he said.  “Felix told me to put the truck in reverse but everything was backwards in that Land Rover. I’m a Toyota man ... I couldn’t get the bloody thing in gear.”

By this stage the car was on fire and Mr Blanch said he smelled the rubber burning.

“I could smell my clothes starting to burn,” he said.  Mr Noble jammed the old battle truck into gear and Mr Blanch reversed the four-wheel-drive along the track all while Mr Noble was spraying the vehicle to ease the heat.

As the pair began to reverse Mr Noble recalled hearing the water pump splattering.

“The fuel lines were burning,” he said.

“We were out of water.”

Mr Blanch continued to reverse the truck along the track until they exited the side of the fire. Remarkably, no serious injuries were sustained during the ordeal.

Mr Blanch said he  owes his life to Mr Noble.

“He [Noble] saved my life,” he said

Rural Fire Service learning and development officer Tim Butcher said Mr Noble’s actions were typical of RFS volunteers. 

“Our volunteers put their lives on the line for the community,” he said.

 The RFS is conducting an investigation in the fire.