Social Media Content Creator Documents Australia's Bushfire While on a Floating Picnic Table — Shares Update on the Blaze

A large wave of wildfires ripped through parts of New South Wales (NSW) — particularly the Central Coast (near Koolewong) and the Mid North Coast (near Bulahdelah) in Australia as extremely hot, dry, and windy conditions created dangerous fire risks on 6 and 7 December 2025. Social media content creator shares his experience online.

Social media content creator Michael Drake (@muchaeldrake1 on TikTok) documented the bushfires in Australia while on a floating picnic table.

In a video posted on his account on Sunday, 7 December 2025, which has been viewed by 1.2 million people on TikTok, Drake was seen riding the table as fires raged nearby. A storm was approaching, with lightning visible in the background.

In the video, he captioned: 'Sending all my love to everyone affected by the fires. Stay safe :) Will keep you guys updated.'

An overlay caption read, 'We were told to evacuate our home.' The footage showed widespread fires, and Michael appeared trapped in the middle of the lake amid the lightning storm.

Michael can be seen panicking as he faces both fire and lightning simultaneously. Despite the perilous situation, rain began to pour, prompting him to cheer, knowing it would help suppress the flames. He ended the video hoping everyone remained safe.

Later, he posted another update showing the affected areas, saying: 'The fires have died down since yesterday, but it's still smoking.'

He added: 'The helicopters are still going — there are, like, ten choppers right now. Our house is still safe from the fire; it hasn't spread yet, so hopefully it will start raining again.'

He also noted: 'Twelve houses burned yesterday. Prayers to all those families affected. It's been a rough couple of days.'

In a separate video, Michael explained how he ended up in the situation: they had gone out to ride the floating picnic table on a '40-degree day' with friends, but his father called to warn him of the fire emergency.

Casualties, Evacuations, and Ongoing Threats

A series of intense bushfires has swept through New South Wales, destroying homes and forcing mass evacuations.

At least 20 homes have been confirmed lost, with significant damage reported across the Central Coast and Mid North Coast. Thousands of residents have been displaced, as emergency services continue to assess the full scale of destruction.

Tragically, a 59-year-old firefighter was killed when a fire-damaged tree fell during operations near Bulahdelah, marking the first confirmed fatality from the fires.

No civilian deaths have been reported so far, though several people have been injured or affected by smoke and fire hazards.

According to ABC, many residents described their losses as devastating. One affected homeowner in Koolewong said: 'My heart hurts ... we've lost everything.'

Many Fires Remain Uncontained

Firefighters are battling multiple blazes simultaneously, with more than 50 fires still burning across the state.

Extreme heat, strong winds, and low humidity have made containment efforts highly challenging.

Authorities have declared several areas as natural disaster zones to provide emergency relief, while many fires remain uncontained, and evacuation warnings are still in place.

The situation remains critical as communities struggle to cope with both the immediate threat and the long road to recovery.