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Meet the woman who feeds Australia's firefighters

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In Australia, thousands of volunteer firefighters will be spending Christmas away from their homes and families as they continue to tackle bushfires. The fires are now burning in five different states, with emergency services warning that at least 60 are out of control.In the town of Lithgow, Sky News correspondent Katerina Vittozzi spoke to Doreen Peters, 80, who has been keeping fire crews going with delicious home-cooked meals.Image:New South Wales accounts for more than half of the firesThis is her story.I've managed the Bushfire Brigade Canteen for 54 years.We serve meals for all the firefighters.

It doesn't matter if you work for the National Parks Agency, the Forestry Commission - we feed everybody that comes along.I drive the canteen truck.

It's modern compared to what I learned to drive in - a 1942 Chev Blitz, which is what the Queen drove during the war.Image:Firefighter tackles a bushfire in BalmoralI had to take a driving test last year because I turned 80.

I drove a 9-tonne truck around Lithgow for an hour and a half and I passed with flying colours.I just enjoy doing this.

I enjoy cooking.

I've been widowed for seven and a half years and here I have the company of people, which I like.What we do is very important because there are lots of very tired, hungry volunteers.They've been out for weeks and weeks and weeks fighting these fires.

And they need the nourishment because when they go home, they just want to shower and go to bed because they're so tired.Bushfires rage on in Australia and emergency response units continue to fight the inferno by land and airSo at least we're trying to give them a decent meal at lunchtime.I think we did 240 meals yesterday.

We put them in coolers and they go out to the bushfire grounds.One chap came in this morning and said he has never, ever had such nice food on a fire ground.My son, and my grandsons are all volunteer firefighters.I'm very proud of them.

I think they're doing a wonderful job.But I'm also proud of the community here.The donations that we're getting - like food and water - they just keep coming in.

I just cannot believe the generosity of the Lithgow people.

They've been wonderful.As bushfires rage in New South Wales, some homeowners are returning to their ruined houses to assess the damageAnd we've also had help from volunteers from all over the country, and from the US and Canada.We're going to do special things for them on Christmas Day.I made Christmas puddings before all this started, just for my family.Well, we're going to share those here.And we're going to have trifles, pavlovas and special pork, that sort of thing.The men can come in and sit down and enjoy a meal, even though they are away from their family.




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