As the country burned through a black summer, one man stood out — NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. As communities were being engulfed by fire, and amid political turmoil, Mr Fitzsimmons was reassuring, straight talking and honest. He became the “face of the fires” and to many, a national hero. For the first time Mr Fitzsimmons reveals the man behind his calm façade and how he overcame a childhood marred by domestic violence to become one of Australia’s most admired leaders.