California Firefighters Recount Historic Blaze: ‘There Wasn’t Anything That Wasn’t on Fire’

The emotional toll, Captain Ahmad said, is as large as the physical. Some crews can work up to 24-hour shifts, but the impact of sifting through so much devastation is more depleting than the hard physical labor.

Carrie Bowers: From Wildland Firefighter (Hotshot) to Fire Science Meteorologist

Being a female firefighter was probably a lot like being a male firefighter. Being a hotshot is a demanding job, regardless of who you are. The work is physically grueling, dirty and hot, and can keep you away from home for weeks at a time. Because of these things, there’s a great sense of pride in being a hotshot, and the job can certainly be exciting at times. The crew became a lot like family, as suffering together can make for a strong bonding experience.

Firefighters do a lot less firefighting than they used to. Here's what they do instead

...firefighters now respond to many times more medical calls per year than actual fires. When you hear a fire engine's siren or see one speeding down the street, it's probably responding to a medical call, in addition to an ambulance that's heading to the same spot. Interestingly, there's actually a better chance it's responding to a false alarm than an actual fire.

Firefighters Sound Alarm On Toxic Chemicals

To fight a fire means confronting a toxic soup of burning chemicals and their byproducts, including dioxins, furans and formaldehyde. Many of the most toxic fumes released by today’s fires actually come from chemicals added to everything from clothes to couches to computers in an effort to retard flames.

Flames aren't the only danger firefighters face. Sometimes, there's a bear.

In the summer of 2003, we were trying to capture fire behavior on the Robert's Fire in northwestern Montana, where the Flathead National Forest meets Glacier National Park (NP)...

Plenty of firefighters, but where are the fires?

As ‘emergency’ changes its meaning, some critics are arguing it’s time to revisit a century-old system.

Smoke and Mirrors

We lionize them, regard them as unsullied by base motivations, see them as paragons of manliness (and very tough womanliness). They’re easily our most-admired public servants, and in the public’s eye probably outrank just about anyone except the most highly publicized war veterans. But the “hero” label is tossed around a little too often when the subject is firefighting. Here’s why...