I was reading my sister in law's blog and she did a post on her memories of fire fighting. So I was looking through my old pics and decided to share some of my photos and memories.
Engine 626 aka junk show. We named it junk show because it was a piece of junk. We would be driving down the road and our bins would plop open. It was so hard to start that pump!! It would only go about 70 mph and any faster I felt like it was going to blow up. And many many other problems, but I loved that engine! Oh and my engine buddies Branden and Daniel, they were like brothers to me.
This is a picture I took after a fire burned through. This is one of my favorite pictures! I think I might frame it.
BIGGEST FIRE EVER! This was one of the very few times I felt like I was in danger. When a fire gets this close to you and it is this big, you need to get out of there FAST. Which we did. It was so loud, almost sound like a huge train flying past.
I didn't cut down this tree, but I did cut down quite a few others. If anyone wants an amazing arm work out, cut down a few trees. I promise you will get results.
A lot of times when we got called on fires we had to do work like this. We had to clear out every dead tree in this area. It was so hot and really hard work. I don't really miss this part of the job. We worked on this project 16 hr days and 7 days a week trying to get it cleared out before the fire reached it....UGH
This is Lydia, one of the few girls who was on my crew. I love her! We had a great time together.
So all together my fire fighting experience was amazing. I always get butterflies when I start talking about fire fighting. I think it's because I always got them when we would pull up to a fire. I learned so much about fire and hard work. I worked harder than I ever thought possible. I never knew a person could get so dirty, I would be black from head to toe with only my feet clean because of my socks. And you would be blowing out black boogers for weeks. lol TMI sorry.
Well I could tell you story after story but I'll leave it at this, it was a great summer and experience...
4 comments:
Love it! You have so many up close pics, and with you in them! I didn't take pictures until my last year. Of course on a hand crew you are always hiking all over and carrying a camera was added weight that I didn't want. Helitack is much more like an engine. Close access to your stuff. I remember my arms about falling off after falling and limbing a tree. Serious arm workout!!
wow.. thats cool seeing all those pictures. i remember the first time you talked about fighting fires (i totally thought you were kidding)! you definitely have to be strong and tough to do that kind of stuff.. but you just so happen to be very beautiful and talented also.. good balance ;)
I had NO idea that you did that! I also love the burnt forest photo! My younger (also blond) sister worked fire crews for about 3 summers. Her husband proposed on a helipad, while on a fire in Idaho, and every weekend after that for about three years (cuz she kept telling him no). Like you, it taught her to use a chain saw, and she was the only one that could without question change a flat on our mother/daughter weekend. U ARE the WOMEN!
I LOVE that after fire picture. Frame it!!!
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