About the Author
Vivien Thomson has lived the fires she writes about.
A rural firefighter, farmer, and leadership coach with nearly four decades of experience, Vivien has stood alongside communities before, during, and long after catastrophic fire events. She understands loss, recovery, and resilience not as concepts, but as lived reality—shaped by the land, service, and the long road that follows disaster.
Still working the land, Vivien brings a rare depth of insight drawn from frontline firefighting, rural life, and years supporting people navigating grief, disruption, and rebuilding. Her writing speaks to those who have been changed by fire—firefighters, families, and communities seeking meaning, strength, and a way forward.
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Ashes of the Firefighters is a book that documents the journey of nine people after experiencing a major bushfire.
Government House in Canberra
Vivien at Government House in
Canberra, April 2004
Former Governor General Michael Jeffery presenting Vivien Thomson with her Australian Fire Service medal (AFSM). The medal was awarded for distinguished service to the Australian Capital Territory Rural Fire Service, as both a departmental and volunteer firefighter, and as a brigade officer.
‘I heard a quote the other day that to me summed up January 2003’, “fire is a harsh teacher, “It gives the test first and the lesson afterwards”.
‘The fire took 10 days to build and 10 years to recover and some may never recover’.
‘It manifests itself in a way where you need to talk about your experiences and in the end the only ones that understand are the ones that were there going through it with you’.
‘You find at times firefighters don’t like to talk about what they witnessed as it is too traumatic. When you bring up the memories and the emotion your body and mind go tense, you think your the only one going through it, in fact many others feel the same we just need to share our story more’.
Our thanks to Jeff Cutting for the images used on our site.