FIRE! REAL, HOT, DEADLY FIRE!

Finally!

After months of training, classes and practice working in the outdoors and with chainsaws we've arrived. This is the first opportunity I've had to communicate with the outside world for the past two weeks (besides the occasional text message... sorry Dad...) because I have been deep in the mountains along the northeastern portion of California. I am currently working with the National Forest Service out of Challenge, CA doing exciting things like prescribed burns, pile burns, line cutting and other activities. Here we aren't thought of as Americorps members, we are a temporary fire crew working closely with the engine captains and other higher ups that deal with fire in the Forest Service.

This job is (insert colloquialism for phenomenal)! There isn't any busy work, everything we do has a definite purpose and if there isn't anything to do, there isn't anything to do. We go from hanging out and sharing stories with the other firefighters to cutting line up and down hills for 2-4 hours straight (sure to increase as the fire season nears). On Monday we burned 5 acres and saw wildfire-like conditions that forced us to dig line around the whole area. On Tuesday and Wednesday it rained so we learned about how to pack hoses for use on the line and learned about fire engines. On Thursday we dug line for 4 or 5 hours and then saw the sights, and on Friday (technically a day off) a few of us participated in another burn where we used drip torches to light giant bonfires all over the woods.

We have three day weekends that we use to hike and adventure around the area (we're in a national park, so there are many sights to see, including Feather Falls, a 650 foot waterfall just down the road from us) or volunteer for other organizations (like this weekend where we worked with Habitat for Humanity - hopefully in the weeks to come we'll come to lead the projects, at least that's what the site supervisor wants from us). After work we usually hang out and watch playoff hockey or read or go outside and play catch.

Our housing is nestled in the woods and on average a total of 10 cars go by in a given day. We run, hike and use the workout room at Challenge for PT, and I can already tell a difference in my physical fitness in just a few weeks with limited activity (i.e. days when we don't do anything due to weather or other variables). Doing all activities with 40-50 lbs of gear on builds strength quickly...

We have seen a foot of snow, hot sunny days, rain, hail and sleet in the past two weeks, a good opportunity to see all of the faces of the forest. As the weather starts to heat up we will be able to take advantage of the reservoir that is just a half mile or more hike from our barracks. Camp outs, barbecues, sports, swims and hikes will almost certainly become second nature to us very soon.

I could say more, but my time is up for a while. Until next time!

-J