Since finishing high school, my academic path has been anything but traditional. When I was a senior in high school, I had a strong intention of continuing my education, but I felt the need to experience something completely different. College just didn’t feel right at the moment, and I felt like chasing this desire for a new experience while saving up money. I was enrolled in a wildland fire class my senior year, which presented me with an opportunity I didn't think was possible.

An eighteen-year-old on a hotshot wildland fire crew was unheard of.

I excelled in the class, and the fire captain took notice and offered me a spot on the crew. 

Soon enough, I was fighting wildfire on the most qualified type of handcrew in the nation. My high school friends were out partying and living it up for one final summer as “kids,” while I was all over the west, from California, Oregon, to Arizona working like I never had before. I was in over my head, but adapted and did my best to fit into a group of people much older than myself and with drastically different perspectives than my fresh out of high school mindset. During my time as a wildland firefighter, I spent weeks in the wilderness, away from showers, clean clothes, and a roof over my head. I learned to tolerate the weight of a chainsaw plus a 45-pound fire pack, and the heat of wildfire smoke pervading my lungs. I learned to be content working long hours in arduous terrain under the beaming summer heat. I was challenged mentally and physically, but I excelled at what I did. It was tough, but I did enjoy it. I just couldn't ignore the possibility of a college education, the chance of getting a job where I could prioritize my health in the long run, and the chance to gain knowledge that I could use to help others and my community. After two seasons, I made the decision to go to college.

Looking back on my experience as a wildland firefighter, I wouldn’t change a thing. The experience I obtained from this unique job will stick with me forever. One of the moments that stands out to me the most was during my second season on the crew. We were in Arizona in mid July, right in the middle of summer. It was monsoon season, which meant lots of lighting, therefore high fire danger. Temperatures were averaging around 115 degrees fahrenheit. With temperatures so high, working during the day was simply not an option. Previously, we attempted to cut out vegetation along a road that was being used as a fire barrier, but efforts were short-lasted. Multiple incidents of heat stroke from other resources on the fire were reported, and the decision was made to move our crew to night shift. This was a good call, as very little work could be done effectively in that intense heat. But, sometimes that is what’s necessary to suppress a fire. 

The next night, our crew got the request to send out a saw team to cut out a section of line around the active fire we were on. Since we were working at night, fire activity was manageable and temperatures were lower. These conditions made for an optimal time to work. This was my first season on a saw, and my saw partner and I were chosen to go out. We drove out on an ATV with our superintendent to a section of the fire. As we drove out, we ascended this two-track dirt road where upon cresting the hillside, the view of the fire became visible.

I gazed upon rolling hills on fire, like a sea of embers that we were to set sail upon. The dark sky emphasized the intensity of the colors on the hillside, creating this surreal moment of beautiful destruction.

The intense contrast between the calm sky above and the ferocity of the fire below was astonishing. The scene felt unreal, but now when I think about it, this was as real as it gets – a natural disaster showing the true power of earth. We fired up the saw, and started to work our way through the section we were directed to cut. We spent hours working under the stars, falling into this dynamic flow state where it seemed like all thought and consciousness faded into this magical plane of the present moment. Everything seemed so clear, so simple. We had a task to accomplish, and we would get it done. This is one of the memories from my time as a wildland firefighter that I will treasure forever.