One of the realities of living in the bush is making the best out of a bad situation, which Lill and Perry are learning to do fast. Their shed has been overrun with rats, Perry is working on rebuilding their dream house after it was destroyed by fire and Lill struggles to meet an urgent work deadline in the surrounding chaos. It seems the world is conspiring against her. A regular commitment to drive Peg Beecher on a couple of errands turns into a lengthy nightmare when Peg falls sick and needs to get to a hospital. Backa is down at the station to receive the brigade's new fire truck. He is worried about crew numbers and pushes fire control officer Bryce to do a Basic Firefighting Course so Lill and the other recruits are trained up before the bush fire danger period really hits. Uncle Jeff has seized control of Backa and Svettie's finances and insists that Svettie undergo a weekly inquisition on the books. She comes up with a plan to make money so she can get her family out of Jeff's clutches. For this she needs the help of friends Sharpie and Rebekah, but it's not without risk. Fifi attempts a reconciliation with Joey but he's still confused by her previous behaviour and turns her away. Alone in her room, Fifi contemplates life as a single mother and how it will affect her future.