"It's Your Day...! Now Go Mop Up."
A Happy National Wildland Firefighter Day Story.
First and foremost, cheers to all the wildland firefighters out there! There are currently 6,702 firefighters currently assigned to wildfires across the nation, with varying states of cleanliness, sleep deprivation, (de)hydration, and caloric deficit.
They have put in work on 1,831,000 acres of public and private lands so far this year, enduring physical training to hike in and out of mountainous terrain carrying up to one-third of their body weight on their backs, all while trying to manage their personal lives at home. When the forest is nuking with crown fire and homes are threatened, you don’t have time to think about the problems of everyday life that have been put on hold, so you can serve others in the community.
National Wildland Firefighter Day is just that, a national recognition of all the savages out in the wilderness, sweating so much during a 16-hour shift that farm animals would love to use your crew colors as a salt lick.
It’s great, really it is, but banners and fancy digital art posted everywhere for one day never feels as good as a thank you from a grandma in the grocery store. It doesn’t compete with the veteran in the Mexican restaurant that comes and shakes everyone on the crew’s hands, then quietly drops $100 under the windshield wiper on the buggie.
It just doesn’t leave the same taste in your mouth as when the wife of a squadie bakes cookies for the crew before they jump in the trucks to drive four states away, or brings 10 gallons of Horchata to a fire in New Mexico.
It feels good, but it’s nothing like being on a fire near a crewmember’s childhood home, and their mom shows up with puppies in the back of a Subaru and bags of Skittles and homemade caramel rolls. Or when a lead's mom overnighted 20lbs of beef jerky to the shop, along with a handwritten note saying you are all her heroes.
It’s a wonderful gesture, but when your brother commandeers a boat on a wildfire, navigates it to the island your crew is camping on in the BWCA wilderness, and brings you tobacco, whole milk, cookies, salmon, white fish, and steaks… it feels more genuine.
It doesn’t quite hit as hard as the crew standing in the lead saw’s house to show support for him and his mom, who just lost their dad and husband to cancer… and she is still asking the strangers in her living room what SHE can do for YOU. (All true stories)
True interactions in life will always be more genuine than those on social media, TV, or from government PR professionals. However, the latter is better than no recognition at all, which was the norm before National Wildland Firefighter Day was established in 2022.
The public has amnesia. They truly need a dedicated day to remind them that wildland firefighters are often overlooked, dismissed, and taken for granted. That is incredibly important to have and observe.
But it’s not as important as the grandma in the grocery store who smiles and says you remind her of her husband 50 years ago, those that cook fresh food for you in thanks and appreciation, those that love you even when you take the yellow off, and the mom in the living room who just lost everything that still asks how she can help you.
Be proud, be humbled, be savage.
Now go mop up you dirty bastards… the town doesn’t want to see smoke anymore.
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Shoutout to the dispatchers and collateral duty firefighters out there, all of which provide critical roles in #wildlandfire.
Savage