Gossip is spreading like wildfire through town about the fire brigade officer Eris Parsons shooting his dog. Eris and his wife Luisa aren’t around to set the record straight, they’ve gone into hiding. Seems like everyone in Lost River has something they’re trying to escape from.

Svettie is trying not to drown in her problems. Her husband’s uncle Jeff is holding the purse strings of her family’s finances and she’s tired of husband Backa not standing up for her. She runs away to a seaside hotel for a night of something she desperately needs; pampering.

While she’s away Backa must juggle his family and work life with the captaincy of the Lost River Rural Fire Brigade and it’s no easy task.

Backa’s younger brother Joey has returned to Lost River for Fifi and their unborn baby. But things aren’t the same anymore and the couple can’t seem to connect. Joey retreats to a caravan in order to figure his life out.

Meanwhile children’s book illustrator Lill is finding it increasingly difficult to reconcile work with the commitments that come with being part of the Lost River community and when her business partner KC arrives from Sydney, Lill realises she can’t escape. But there are other distractions in the form of firefighting and after accompanying Backa to the scene of a potentially dangerous fire Lill is hooked.

Lill and Svettie have been living it up at Lill's "Which Witch?" children's book launch in Sydney and are on a road trip back to Lost River. As the two women bond, Lill reveals information about herself that shocks Svettie and she begins to see Lill in a new light. Meanwhile Hank Sharp has also returned from Sydney, only this time he's not alone. With him are two dodgy looking 'mates' who are seen around town acting very suspiciously. Perry is angry at Hank for absconding from his weekly anger management sessions and threatens to report Hank to his parole officer. But Hank has a card up his sleeve, which involves blackmailing Perry for covering up the possibility that his daughter Taz may have been responsible for a hit and run car accident. Later Perry finds his car vandalised and during a confrontation with Hank about the matter, Hank then reveals he was seeing Taz in Sydney. It's the final insult for Perry, who angrily lunges at Hank, landing a clumsy punch to the side of his head. Hank is actually thrilled - it's just another piece of ammunition to use against his counsellor. Hank arrives back home to a family who are all a little wary of him. Especially once they realise that Hank and his sidekicks may be planning a crime. Fifi knows it will be impossible to stop her brother from continuing on his destructive path. It upsets her even more when she realises Hank is reeling Kieran into his world. For Fifi it marks a moment, which brings her closer to Joey and towards planning their future together as a new family unit.

Perry’s moved into the mudbrick house and Lill is happy about that-or is she? During a drunken phone call with Perry’s ex-wife, Lill realises her relationship may really be over. Then the unravelling starts as her happiness turns and reality starts closing in. Can she live without Perry?

It’s another hot day and a fire has started in the Tuza State forest. Fifi arrives at Firecom, to the chaos of fires already out of control. Conditions aren’t good-it’s expected to reach 41 degrees and the winds are fierce. All the brigades are on standby as Fire Control Officer Bryce Austin works out the strategies needed to overcome the fires before they link up and the wind pushes them towards Fox Cove. Fifi learns that Bryce will do everything he can to save Fox Cove, including putting his own house at risk.

There’s smoke in Lost River but no fire, yet. Backa is at the fire station organising crews. He’s trying to be Captain in every way possible. But there’s pressure coming in from everywhere. He can’t help wondering why local policeman Mike Jones is sniffing around his wife. And there’s a southwesterly change expected which means the fires will close in around Lost River.

Meanwhile Mike is closing in on Svettie and Sharpie’s dope crop. He’s torn between being the cop and living in a small country town where he has become familiar with the residents. It’s a fine line and Mike is still an outsider. But a secret is out about Mike and his world is about to close in on him too.