With fierce flames bearing down on him, an Australian schoolboy made a split-second decision to drive his family's ute to escape the raging bushfires.
Lucas Sturrock's family were following their bushfire action plan as flames engulfed nearly 8000 hectares around their home in Mogumber, rural Western Australia.
The 12-year-old retreated to a safe spot with the family dog, while his father Ivan and brother went to fight the fire.
But a short time after reaching the safety spot, he had to make the call to escape in the family ute as more flames approached.
"It was a pretty scary environment, visibility was low, the flames were high," volunteer firefighter Craig Spencer told Nine.
Lucas drove through some of the paddocks and was found around an hour later, parked on a main road away from the fire.
"He did a good job. He could drive a manual better than me. I haven't driven a manual for 12 years, so he's a smart kid," Mr Spencer says.
The family were safely reunited.
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