Armed with a tree branch, he joined a group of older men to brave the ferocious heat and beat back the flames.Worried about the recurring devastation, in 2013 he joined dozens of fellow refugees to volunteer and help put out bushfires in the areas surrounding the camp and the town of Bassikounou in the Hodh Chargui region.Without proper firefighting equipment and protective clothing, the work can be dangerous.The group now has nearly 200 active refugee members, with Mauritanians and the local authorities often joining efforts to put out bushfires, plant trees and build fire breaks.Others are sharing knowledge about breeding livestock, preserving pasturelands and farming techniques adapted to the increasingly dry conditions."