My job in prevention is about public education and outreach, making sure that we share consumable knowledge about our forests, and how to prevent fires. I also still respond to and fight wildland fires.
The ability to synthesize information is an integral skill. Between the science involved in fire ecology and the terminology that is used daily in wildland firefighting, being able to express information in a way that the public can understand is essential.
Due to multiple large fires in the forest, the fire danger rating, and fire resources being stretched thin at the local, regional, and national levels, we had to close an entire, 2-million-acre forest in 40 hours.
The most important tool I have in my current position is my digital camera (Canon EOS 5D Mark IV). It is a cliché to say that a picture is worth 1,000 words, but when telling the story of a wildland fire, it is essential that we have pictures to visually convey our message.
There is no one solution or answer when it comes to fighting wildland fires. Different fuels, topography, and weather will make a 1-acre fire in one location completely different than a 1-acre fire in another location, or the same location on a different day.
When I got my first fire job on an engine, I was just happy to work outside and be able to help out in emergencies. Once on the job, I learned that there was so much more than meets the eye and was hooked.
