Firefighters’ smouldering anger erupts

Our stressed-out and over-worked firefighters have finally had enough, RNZ reports, giving notice of a rare national strike. There will be two separate strikes, between 11am and 12pm on Friday 19 August and again at the same time on Friday 26 August. While professional, paid firefighters are taking up the spotlight, Karla Karaitiana of Stuff says the country’s 12,000 or so volunteers also bear the brunt of working at the coal face without sufficient support.