Mike Salas
The Dodgers have teamed up with Fanatics and the LA sports community to support those impacted by the tragic wildfires. From the sale of “LA Strong” T-shirts, both organizations will make donations directly to the American Red Cross and the LA Fire Department Foundation.
This article hits close to home. I just retired from the Fire Department after thirty-four years of service and serving the citizens of California. You can say I was born into it; my father and uncle were firefighters also. I know what my brothers and sisters are going through trying to contain all the fires currently burning in the Los Angeles area.
Nineteen of the thirty-four years, I was assigned to a Fire Handcrew. I Started off swinging a hand tool and eventually moved up to lead 18 kids on fires that burned throughout the state. It was my job to keep everyone safe, and the goal was to get everyone home safe to see their loved ones.
Fighting Wildland Fires is not an easy job. You have a 65-pound pack that is filled with food, water, and supplies that you will need to get through a 24-hour shift. Fourteen crew members carried hand tools to dig fire lines, two carried chainsaws to cut brush, and two carried gas/oil (for the chainsaw) hand tools and threw the brush that the saws cut.
Sometimes it was an easy hike to get to our assignment, but most of the time we were hiking for hours up steep and uneven terrain to start work on removing vegetation to starve the fire of fuel. It was the biggest adrenaline rush arriving on the scene of a fire, seeing the thick black smoke and fire racing uphill, but it is a dangerous job that will kill you in a second if you don’t know the rules of engagement. It is true; we are going in while everyone else is trying to leave.
I have lost count of how many fires I have been to where families or individuals have lost everything. It is indescribable walking through an area where over 50 homes have burnt down. The air is filled with the smell of gas, burnt rubber, and hissing sounds from butane tanks that are off-gassing.
It’s even worse when you see a family or elderly couple who have lost everything they own. I will never forget the blank look on their faces, wondering where to dig and trying to find just one momentum that means something to them. We have helped many shift through the ashes to find parts of their life that were left behind when they got the call to evacuate.
I miss the days of sleeping in the dirt, seeing a smile on one of my crewmember’s faces after a sense of accomplishment after a 36-hour shift. Like most of my brothers in the fire service, we are haunted by all the ugly stuff we have seen, but my heart is filled with joy seeing a community come together after so many have lost everything.
If you see a fireman, please give them a thank you. Just those two words will make their day, and I know from experience that a smile will come over their face because they will know everything that has happened that day was well worth it.
If you have extra time, be a part of your community and volunteer at one of the evacuation centers, or donate to the American Red Cross. Every little thing helps out to those who have lost so much.
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