Kobei Holmes is chasing fire fighting action all around the world.
A young firefighter based at the Ovens airbase has capped off his first season with Victoria's elite helicopter rappel crew, and is now heading to Canada to chase a second fire season on the other side of the world.
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Kobei Holmes, who grew up on the Mornington Peninsula, cut his teeth as a seasonal firefighter with the Alexandra crew before landing a spot on the rappel program at Ovens.
"Like a lot of kids, growing up I always wanted to be a firefighter," Kobei said.
"I got to work with the rappel team a few times while I was at Alexandra, and it quickly became a goal of mine to join the program."
Recruits face four weeks of intensive training before they even step into a helicopter.
Kobei Holmes cut his teeth in Buffalo National Park during the summer bushfires.
Kobei's first real test came on New Year's Eve, when his crew was called to a fire in Mt Buffalo National Park, known for its sheer cliffs and granite tors.
"The adrenaline was certainly pumping, but at the same time I felt prepared," he said.
"You just fall back on all the training, and trust the process and your crew."
Backed by a Sikorsky S-61 helicopter, the crew held the fire to just 0.18 hectares.
It was the start of a busy season that saw FFMVic's rappel crews fly 56 missions into 22 fires out of Ovens and Heyfield.
Kobei grew up on the Mornington Peninsula, but now works intermittently out of Ovens airbase and in British Columbia, Canada.
As Victoria's season wound down, Kobei applied to the British Columbia Wildfire Service and landed a spot on the Columbia Initial Attack crew out of Revelstoke, 13,500km away.
He's among a growing number of FFMVic firefighters picking up seasonal work in Canada over the off-season.
Kobei has since been offered a five-year seasonal rappel contract and plans to return to Ovens later this year for his second season.
"I loved my first season at Ovens, so I can't wait to return," he said.
Forest Fire Management Victoria is recruiting for the 2026/27 season, with applications open until July 26.
