by J. R. Tate
“The guy you’ll be borrowing from is Jack Lawton. He’ll be back here in a little bit. He just radioed in and said he was on his way.” Lieutenant Harlan patted him on the shoulder. “I don’t think we’re gonna get you out there on the fires today, McGinnis. We are pressed for time, but I want to make sure you’ve got a little training before going out there.”
“What can I expect, exactly?”
Harlan buried his hands in his pockets and sighed. “To be honest, it changes daily. I’ve been doing this for over twenty years and I have never seen anything like these fires. Sometimes they have us behind the fire with our trucks and sometimes they have us working bulldozers to set up firebreaks. As fire approaches homes, we go in and make sure there aren’t any stragglers inside. Since you’ve got experience in search and rescue that might be one of your main jobs. You okay with that?”
Michael shook his head yes. “As soon as you can get me out there to help will be good.”
“Our assignments change from day to day. Today they had the Hays Department south of the fire on a road where the fire hadn’t hit. Told them to prepare to attack as it approached. We try to share duties and trade off. There are also airplanes that fly overhead and dump water down.”
“Yeah, I did some reading on it all. I know it’s nothing like getting in and doing the real thing though.”
“You’ll be alright, McGinnis. I’ve got young men out there doing it who had never been up close and personal with a fire in their lives until now. Your instincts will click on. I just want to go over some refreshers and get you out there. I’m thinking tomorrow morning, bright and early is when we’ll have you go.”
Another man entered the station and walked to them, immediately extending his hand for them to shake. “I’m Jack Lawton. You must be Michael McGinnis.”
“Yeah, that’s me.” He shook the other man’s hand. “I appreciate you offering me some of your gear.”
The other man was in paramedic pants and his firehouse shirt, and it was evident he had been out in the fires for a good chunk of the day. The smell of smoke took over the air and he had soot, dirt, and sweat caked on his face. “It’s no problem at all. Least I can do for someone giving their time to stay and help us out.” He grabbed a towel and wiped some of the black off of his face. “You got a place to stay or anything?”
“I’m going to book a room at a hotel nearby.”
Jack held his hand up. “Hell no you’re not. You can stay at my place. That’ll cost you way too much money.”
Michael was shocked at his generous offer. “I don’t want to be an inconvenience.”
“You won’t be.” Jack flashed him a smile and Michael found it inspiring that even though he had been out in hell all day, he still had a positive demeanor about himself. “I live alone. We won’t be there much anyway. No use in putting in all that dough on a hotel when you’ll be there long enough to shower and sleep anyway.”
“Well damn, thanks again. Means a lot,” Michael replied, grateful at the wonderful hospitality he had already been shown. It was nice having someone trust him right off the bat. He wasn’t used to that.
“How about you take McGinnis to your house, show him where it is, and get your gear. Bring him back here and we’ll give him a quick run down of what we do.” He turned to Michael. “Usually we put our men through extensive training and have them tag along side a veteran for several calls, kinda like what you do up in New York, but right now we just don’t have the time. Like I said, your instincts will kick in and you’ll be okay.”
Nodding, Michael twirled the set of keys to the Tahoe. “You want me to just ride with you, Lawton? I’ve got a truck parked out front.”
“Yeah, we’ll go in mine. We’ll be back in about an hour, Lieu.” He patted Michael on the shoulder. “I know it’s all moving fast. You’ll catch on. I’m parked out back. You can park there too if you ride out to the fire on a truck. A lot of us take our personal vehicles out on calls and just meet the engine there. It just depends on where they are going to assign us.”
Michael climbed in the passenger side of the old Ford pickup, observing the wear and tear on it. It was certain that it had seen better days, but despite the fact that it was worn out, it was still in good shape to serve what Lawton needed it for. He had tools scattered in the back seat and there was a thin layer of dust on the radio and dashboard. He could feel every bump as they drove down the road and when Lawton switched gears, there was an abrupt jolt as the truck responded. Michael loved every second of it. It was a whole new world and experience he had never truly seen with his own eyes. If he ever got away from the big city, he could definitely live like this.
“I live right outside of Manor on a couple of acres. It’s about thirty or so minutes from the main area of fires, and about five from the station, so not too bad of a commute. There’s several back roads you can take to get to the Bastrop area. If you have time, I suggest you get a map of Central Texas and study it over. GPS really won’t do. I know a lot of people are having a hard time acquiring a signal through all of the smoke. Can’t ever go wrong with a map.”
Michael observed the farmland as Lawton turned down a long, gravel covered driveway that led up to a small clapboard house on the edge of a thick wooded area. After being jarred around from the uneven land, Michael got out and followed Lawton inside. It wasn’t overly dirty and had a lived in look. There was a wood-burning stove against an east wall. It looked a lot like a hunting lodge.
“Nice place you got here.” Michael didn’t want to be rude, but he walked through, exploring the roof he’d be living under for no telling how long.
“It ain’t much. Enough for me, I guess. You’ll probably have a hard time sleeping because it’s so quiet out here at night. Don’t have sirens blaring every five minutes.” Lawton let out a laugh. “My old turnouts are out here in the shed. Make yourself at home. Bathroom is the third door on the right, and there’s a bedroom right across where you can put all your stuff and stay in. I’ll be back with all the gear.”
Michael walked down the hallway, pushing the bathroom door open far enough to see inside. A toilet and a shower – all he would need. The bedroom was average sized with a twin bed in one corner and a dresser adjacent to it. There were a few pictures on top of it. He ran his hand down the side of one of the frames, studying the people in it. It looked like Lawton along with a young boy, each of their smiles wide as they displayed several fish on a line. Was that Lawton’s son? He surely wouldn’t ask.
He heard the screen door squeak open and shut, so he walked back to the living room to help Lawton. “There’s a set of turnouts, a helmet and mask. Try these boots on. If they don’t fit, I think we have a few more pair back at the house.”
Michael slipped them on. There were a few inches from his toe to the tip of the boot, but would work well enough. “They fit okay.”
“Not too tight? Last thing you want is to rub blisters all over your feet when we are out there in the middle of nowhere.”
“They’re good.” He would just make sure to wear thick socks to help hinder the sliding. He gathered up the stuff and put them in the back of the pickup. He was going to take them back to the station to keep in the Tahoe. “I really do appreciate you letting me borrow everything and letting me stay here.”
Lawton paused before he turned the key in the ignition. “Well, I’ve said this before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again, McGinnis. The fact that you are giving your time to do this is better than anything we could offer for you. So really, we should all be thanking you.”
They drove back to the fire department and after several hours of training, Michael felt exhausted. For the most part, Lieutenant Harlan was right about things clicking. Even though New York didn’t endure many wildfires, if any, some of the same concepts were gone over when he was in the academy. They weren’t studied as extensively, and he hoped he knew enough of the basics to get by.
He stared down at several notes he had jotted down on
a notepad. His handwriting looked like chicken scratch and he had a hard time reading it. He jotted down one last note about buying a central Texas map before going home for the night. He was certain that he wouldn’t sleep much, and studying all of the roads would help get him through his insomnia.
“Go back to Lawton’s place and get some sleep, McGinnis. They are calling all of our men off the fire for the night, so we’re all gonna meet back here at seven AM with orders and go from there.”
Michael looked down at his shoes, trying hard to mask how nervous he was. It was a mixture of that and adrenaline, something he used to strive on with his job, hoping that in this situation it would be beneficial too.
“Okay Lieutenant, I’ll see you back here bright and early.” He walked toward the Tahoe and the voice of his superior stopped him.
“McGinnis! Tomorrow, it’ll be like you’ve been part of the Manor Fire Department for years. Trust me. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
***
Michael had left his cell phone in the Tahoe during his training and saw that he had a couple of missed calls from Eva. He called her when he got back to Lawton’s house. He lugged in his suitcase and pulled out all of his toiletries. A shower sounded nice, but he dialed Eva’s number. She picked up after a couple of rings, the tone in her voice hopeful.
“Hey Mikey!”
“Sorry it took so long to call back. I didn’t have my phone with me when they were training me.” He leaned back on the bed and allowed his head to sink into the soft pillows. He felt the exhaustion instantly. Maybe falling asleep tonight wouldn’t be impossible. “How was the flight?”
“It was okay. Glad to be back on the ground. How did your training go?”
He closed his eyes and it felt like he was floating upward. “It’ll be okay. Just went over general stuff.” Michael didn’t feel like getting into how nervous he was. It would just make her worry more. “Just ready to get the first day under my belt so I know what to expect.”
“I’m ready for the fires to be done with so you can get back to New York.”
Michael smirked and rolled onto his side. “It hasn’t even been a day yet. Pace yourself, babe.”
There was silence on the other end and for a second, Michael wasn’t sure if she had hung up or not. Propping himself up on his elbow, he began to say something else when Eva finally spoke up.
“Yeah, the apartment just seems different. It’ll be okay. I stopped by the firehouse on my way back.”
“Yeah? What did they all have to say?” Maybe he was better of not knowing.
“Everyone was real supportive. Said they think this is just what you need to do. Everyone is on your side, so let it be one less worry on your mind, okay Mikey?”
He nodded as if she could see him. “Yeah, okay. Thanks for the support on all of this.”
“I should give you more than I have. Telling you how much I miss you and things is not exactly what you need to hear.”
He forced a laugh. “You’re fine, Eva. I miss you too.”
“You sound exhausted, hon. I’m going to let you go so you can get some rest. Be safe and careful. I love you so much.”
Michael let out a deep sigh. “I love you too. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
He ended the call and scooted the cell phone across the nightstand. Pulling the central Texas map out of his backpack, he spread it across the bed and scanned over it. It wasn’t too hard to follow. There were several different county and state roads to use. At least tomorrow they were all meeting at the firehouse. It would give him more time to get acquainted with the area.
He took a long shower and savored the warm water as it trickled over his sunburned skin. He never identified himself as being an overly religious man, but he ducked his head anyway and said a quick prayer for the unknown days ahead. He got dressed in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and walked through the living room, noticing that Lawton still wasn’t home and it was after eleven pm. He opened the fridge and browsed through what was inside. It was typical of what a bachelor would have – more beer than food. Michael quickly shut the door and shook his head. Just what he needed, temptation.
He went back to his room and shut the door. He had to ease his mind somehow to get some sleep. Tossing and turning, he continued to look at the time on his phone. He buried himself deep within the covers and tried to relax.
Everything was going to be okay. The odds were on his side. For the size of fires raging on, the injuries to other firefighters seemed pretty minuscule in comparison. Just stick with the group and listen to all orders. Don’t be a hero. Get in there and do things right.
Chapter Ten
Michael’s alarm woke him up at six am the next day. Rolling over, he let out a low groan as the brightness of his phone flashed in his face. An instant pang of butterflies rushed through his stomach. Sitting up, he saw light pouring in from the bottom of the door. Lawton must have already been up. He kicked his legs over the side of the bed and raked his hand through his hair. He was facing mixed emotions. He was pumped to get out there and see what it was all about, and at the same time, he just wanted to burrow back in bed and not face it. Thoughts of how he froze on the job hit him. Would this help his PTSD or make it worse? Just a week ago he had come close to losing control on the job. Maybe doing this wasn’t such a good idea.
Ignoring the second thoughts and hesitation, he put on a pair of medic pants and one of his firehouse t-shirts he considered good luck. He stared at himself in the mirror as he brushed his teeth. His hair shot out in every direction, compliments of going to bed with it wet. It didn’t matter. He wasn’t attending something formal. He threw a baseball cap on and studied himself for a few more seconds before meeting Lawton in the kitchen.
“There’s McGinnis! I guess you must’ve already been crashed out when I got home last night. Sleep okay? Was the bed comfortable?”
“Yeah man, everything was good.” The smell of scrambled eggs and bacon made Michael nauseous.
“I’m making enough for you to have some too. Better eat up. Don’t want to go out there on an empty stomach. Sometimes we have snacks and things on the truck and sometimes we don’t.”
He piled the food high on Michael’s plate and he didn’t want to seem ungracious, so he force-fed himself. The food wasn’t half bad. He just didn’t have much of an appetite. Lawton was right. He’d be begging for this later if he didn’t eat it now.
“Thanks for cooking breakfast.”
Lawton nodded from the sink as he filled up several canteens of water. “I’ve got a couple of these you can borrow. We take water on the truck, but never hurts to have these stowed away as well.” Lawton paused as he handed one of them to Michael. “You alright?”
Shrugging, Michael draped the strap around his shoulder. “I’m fine. Just feels like we are preparing to go to war or something.”
“That’s a good way to look at it,” Lawton replied. “Go ahead and take your Tahoe to the station and I’ll take my truck. They might need our vehicles.”
Michael wasn’t sure if taking a rental into the fires was a good idea, but it didn’t really matter. He had renter’s insurance on it and if something did happen, hopefully they’d understand. He double-checked to make sure the bunker gear was in the back and put the canteens in the front seat next to him. A thick haze from the smoke lingered in the air. It was humid out, which was a good thing in helping control the burn. The air just seemed more potent, as if the smoke had no way of escaping the atmosphere.
He followed Lawton to the firehouse. The sun was starting to come up on the horizon, giving the sky a bright orange contrast against the darkness. Traffic was light for seven AM, especially compared to New York. Several men were gathered in the parking lot as they pulled in. Michael gripped the steering wheel tightly and waited a few seconds before exiting his vehicle. Everyone greeted him as if they had known him forever, easing the tension that was built up throughout his body.
Lieutenant Harlan approached the group, a
packet of paperwork in hand. “They are dispatching us to Bastrop State Park. The fire has already destroyed two thirds of the six thousand acres. They want us to go in and build fire breaks, fire lanes, and soak down areas around historical structures. It’s heavily wooded, so we’ll be using bulldozers and things to knock trees down and build trenches. I don’t want all of us taking personal vehicles, so two or three men ride together. We’ll take one of our rigs so we can soak stuff down. If the fire looks like it’s getting near, we’ll move it.”
Michael decided to leave the Tahoe parked. He didn’t want to risk it getting damaged if he could avoid it. He, along with Lawton, rode with two other men in a Suburban. They took highway two ninety and Michael made a mental note of it. He scanned everything outside the window to try and get more familiar with all of his surroundings. They cut down Texas highway ninety-five to go around the major core of the fire. As they got closer to their destination, the smoke grew thicker and the landscape became more depressing. Farmland for miles was charred and homes in every direction had been completely burned to the ground. The cement foundations left behind were the only clue that a house once stood there. The fire was threatening a housing development on the outskirts of Bastrop and the State Park, and other departments were lined up, doing the same tasks they would have to do inside the park.
Michael had seen his share of five alarm fires in skyscrapers and major factories, but never had he seen walls of fire like the ones spreading across the thousands of acres before them. They passed through meadows and woods still smoldering. Wildlife was sparse, but the few animals he saw were frightened and in search of a way out of the blazing inferno. When looking at the fire head on, it appeared to be moving slowly, but in reality, with the help of the winds, it was spreading more rapidly than any fire he had ever seen. The roar of the flames sounded like a freight train, heightening his adrenaline.