IT will be no surprise if some Mole Creek Primary School pupils decide on a firefighting career, as they have been given a first-hand look at how the emergency service works throughout the past week.
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The Tasmania Fire Service is using the school's oval, which is also the Mole Creek football ground, to base its aerial operations while it fights fires near Mersey Forest.
More than 60 people have worked out of the site each day for the last three weeks.
Mole Creek principal Nathan Rockliff said in his 10 years working at the school, he had never seen fires so close to the town or the fire service working from the school.
He said while it meant limited access to the school's oval for pupils, it had been a great learning experience for them.
``During the summer the fire got a bit scary for some of our community,'' Mr Rockliff said.
``To see the fire fighting taking place here at school has really brought home that connection.
``A lot of kids now want to be helicopter pilots and firefighters.''
Pupils got to a look inside a 15 seat helicopter last Friday and speak to firefighters about what their jobs are like.
Grade 6 pupil Merric How, 11, said it had been ''pretty awesome'' to see the helicopters fly in and out.
``It would be pretty cool to fly around in a helicopter,'' Merric said.
Prep pupil Tannah Webb, 5, said his favourite part about the fire service being based at the school was ''having a photo on the helicopter.''
Sixteen people from Queensland are helping fight the Mersey Forest fires, including Tim Chittenden and Clinton Newmann.
Tasmania Fire Service station officer Ben Wilson said the service would continue working from the oval for ''at least another month without rain''.