Farmers on the fire front line in rural Queensland

He had spent a lot of time over the past couple of weeks working to contain fires, all while trying to protect his own property where he runs about 70 head of cattle.

Dust and dirt clogged the microphone of his phone as he spoke with Queensland Country Life on Thursday, choppers buzzed overhead, his days were "a bit blurry".

He had been with the Colosseum Rural Fire Brigade for about 10 years, joining shortly after moving to the area. He took on his first fire just a couple of months after joining and was blown away by how far and wide people came to help.

He'd spent the weekend just gone putting in fire breaks at home and the whole thing was bit touch and go, with wind changes sending the fire front into unpredictable directions.

It could have easily crossed Fingerboard Road to his property. Others in the area weren't so lucky.

Dennis was asked to take a day or so to rest before joining his local crew on the ground again on Tuesday.

He felt comfortable enough to leave home since his wife was doing what she could to hold down the fort, pulling water out of the dam to wet the grass.

"I do think she was a little bit concerned but I also know how much faith she has in what I decide to do and the Queensland Fire and Rural Fire Service," he said.

"She's been out there on the front line as well so she knows how well we band together to protect people's properties."

His brigade has 18 members and as first officer, Dennis' role has largely been to lead his brigade in operational aspects, but he wasn't a stranger to the front line and had been fighting flames all the same.

He said he joined because he liked to help people, but could also be a bit of a "glutton for punishment".

What he enjoyed most though was seeing people come out of the woodwork to help, the "Australian spirit rocking up" was how he described it.

He said it must be such a relief for people when they saw five or so trucks show up around their house ready to fight for them.

"Everyone is there to say 'don't worry, we got this, we've got your back'."

But it wasn't just the fireys, it was the bushys and the farmers, who always showed up.

"We've had plenty of fireys here but in that particular section I was looking after, it was the local farmers who really came out to do the hard yards," he said.

"I couldn't have done any of this without them."

It was the fellow property owners who showed up with their water tanks, tractors, dozers and whatever else they could muster to assist. All that despite dwindling water supplies and high diesel prices.

"Some of those blokes did 36 hours straight just pumping."

He said the fire front was in a much better place because of the efforts of those fellows. The unnamed farmers. All around the state, they were the ones that always showed up.

"They have the real local knowledge and really know what they're doing when it comes to situations like this, I lean on them heavily," Dennis said.

Even if there were differences between people, or those that didn't usually get along, none of that mattered if it meant seeing people loose more than they had to.

"You just don't leave your mate out to die."