When a Fire Burns Hot

by Corey Richard

Fast Horse stood up and waited only a few seconds before the entire crew gave him their attention. He began a speech he’d made to all his crews of the last ten years. “All you ladies’ men better listen up. I know no woman would ever even look at you -- not when they have me around to look at - so you might just get tempted to do somethin’ stupid and try an’ get their attention. Now remember, the Forest Service says that any kinda comment of a sexual nature, or even just buggin’ a woman, is what they call ‘grounds for dismissal’. I don’t want no one on my crew doing somethin’ to make us look bad. The Forest Service is really tight on this. Even a whistle has got people sent home before.”

  Many in the crew groaned at this last piece of information.

  “Eh, women are always whistlin’ at me an’ I don’t complain, but they got their policies and we’re gonna stick to ‘em,” Fast Horse said.

  Alice smiled openly in appreciation, and nodded to Fast Horse.

  “What do you want?” Jim blurted, after removing his eyes from Alice. “For us to pretend that a beautiful woman isn’t beautiful, or isn’t even fuckin’ there? Hell, women always make themselves look hot for us to notice ‘em. The Forest Service can’t stop me from being a man unless women stop being women!” Jim glared openly at Alice.

  Alaska, seated near Alice, clenched his teeth when he noticed Alice stiffen.

  “Look, all I know is that a lot of women want to be left alone, and everyone’s got a right to that,” Alice added, having completely dropped the collegiate tone in her voice for the first time in a while.

  “Girl’s got a point there,” Scott chimed in.

  Derrick nodded his agreement, after studying Alice for a few seconds.

  Frank said nothing, but was glad Scott had voiced his agreement, figuring that now he might not be the only one valiantly standing by Alice if the rest increased the frequency and intensity of their attacks. The idea of being her sole ally had appealed to him, however... while another part of him still wished she would just try and get along with everybody, be the type of woman they all might desire.

  Fast Horse seemed undecided as to what to say next. “Well, anyway,” he said, “listen to Alice’s advice here and don’ go buggin’ the women in this camp.”

  Frank again stopped at the information board on his way to dinner. There was still no official estimate of containment for any of the fires in the area, he read. He glanced over the most recent briefs before examining the containment lines drawn on the maps. It appeared that the plan was to encircle the two main fires individually, a task that was already almost half completed. The most isolated of the fires had been named Devil’s Gulch, and continued to appear as one main fire with a couple of spot fires on its perimeter, containment lines still notably absent. The prospects for at least a couple more days of work were excellent, he decided, and left the board to take his place at the end of the line.

  After eating, Frank got up from his seat next to Alice and Scott and headed back to camp. He was afraid Alice would think he was hounding her if he waited to walk back with her as he would have liked.

  Randy, who had left his partners, was also heading back, and quickly caught up with Frank. “Hey, Frank, got a chew?” he asked, as he fell into step beside him.

  “Yep,” Frank said, handing him his fresh, nearly full tin of chewing tobacco.

  “They haven’t set up a commissary yet, and I think George is getting sick of me pinching off him.”

  “I got another can, so just keep it. I go through ‘em pretty slow. I’m sure I won’t run out.”

  “Thanks, Frank,” Randy said sincerely, and raised his brows. “I’ll buy you a new one when they get all set up,” he said, happily ripping open the Velcroed pocket of his fire shirt and stuffing the can in. He, like Frank, was pleased to be forging a tie with someone new.

  “Sounds good.”

  “So it seems like we’ll be out here a while, huh?”

  “Yeah, I sure hope so.”

  “Keep my squad from bitchin’ for a while ‘bout bein’ broke.” Randy laughed.

  Frank searched his mind for a topic of conversation. He became determined to have a real conversation with Randy, one that didn’t resemble that which Randy usually had with his squad members. “So, you’ve known the guys on your squad all your life?” he began.

  “Yeah, pretty much. We all grew up in the same town together.”

  “I can’t imagine having friends you’ve been hanging out with for that long.”

  “You gotta have friends you can rely on, know what I mean? We all kinda look out for each other.”

  “Yeah, that’s a pretty good thing. But sometimes it seems like you might get stuck in... sort of... a rut.” Frank knew he had taken a chance. Would Randy close up and be insulted, or think Frank strange?

  “Fuck, I couldn’t go anywhere without ‘em,” Randy said, missing the import of Frank’s comment. “Always been that way, I guess,” he said in an offhand way. Randy was introspective for a moment before something compelled him to say more: “It seems to me that it’s pretty hard to find people you can count on.”

  “That’s sure true.”

  Frank thought about Randy’s situation. He had never run in a pack like Randy; he’d always been more of a silent, meditative type. He figured he had learned by observing from his own vantage point and decided he had a message he could impart. “It seems to me,” he began, “that the people you like to party with when you’re young don’t always end up being the ones you can count on in the long run.”

  Frank quickly wished he hadn’t said what he had said. There seemed a real danger that Randy would take offence at a comment he might perceive was squarely directed at him and his situation.

  Randy, however, took no offense. It took a lot to make him recoil. “Well, I’ve known these guys since way before we learned how to party,” he responded. He then thought about the fact that he had never wanted to make new close friends. The men he hung out with now were like his brothers, and it would be like deserting a family. No one could take their place. There were drawbacks to the situation, though, Frank was right about that. “One thing’s for sure, you can’t always count on old friends to do what the fuck you tell ‘em to do,” Randy said wistfully, and laughed lightly. He wanted to say more, so rare and refreshing he found the conversation, but decided he might end up revealing things usually kept hidden to a man he barely knew, and that was not his way.

  The two men let their conversation fall away and continued walking. Randy thought about how Frank seemed to get along with almost everyone he talked to. It was a valuable trait, he decided, and he vowed to branch out more on the crew and get to know some people different from himself for a change. Randy realized that Frank was like him in some ways: slow and steady in his approach to things, not trying to impress anyone or jump to any rash conclusions or form hasty opinions. He wondered how Frank could tolerate the other college kids.

  “Hey, Randy, what’s the name of the town you all came from? Maybe I’ve been there.”

  Randy told Frank the name.

  “Nope, never even been near there. Always wanted to, though.”

  “Well, you should come sometime. I can show you some good fishing holes when the steelhead are in.”

  “That’d be great. I’m still a virgin when it comes to steelhead.”

  “No shit? Live in Oregon and never caught a steelhead?”

  “Yep.”

  “Hafta fix that.”

  The two men approached the camp and exchanged amicable partings. Frank quickly removed his boots and pants before sliding into his sleeping bag and pulling it up to his chin. A warm pocket of air drifted over his face, and he looked up contentedly at the tall pines, swaying gently in the wind, bending slightly but never threatening to fall. The sweet smells, and the rustling sounds of the forest under the influence of the breeze, streamed through him. It
was as if the dam that was usually in place in his city life was cracking and finally allowing a natural flow. He relaxed and felt a sense of his own power ease its way through him. He then caught a vague glimmer of a potential that existed in him beyond that which he had ever imagined; he boldly desired to reach that potential, dared himself to become something new, stronger. Almost lost in the cacophony was a weak note urging caution, reminding him that a good journey was always fraught with perils.

  Chapter 15

  Frank, in the company of his crew, stumbled out of the forest and into the breakfast line, still working the stiffness out of his sore legs. He noticed that five large Army tents had been erected with a dozen or so deuceandahalf troop carriers parked nearby. The Army’s presence signaled that a monstrous effort was now underway to put these fires out. Frank imagined that the troops probably considered themselves the well-disciplined aces in the hole. The fire was becoming a little too popular, he decided.

  After getting his food, Frank sat down to eat near some uniformed Forest Service regulars, hoping to learn more about the agency and their work. Instead, the topic of discussion was basketball, with the point of contention being who would win the championship.

  “Hey, partner,” Scott said, sitting down.

  “Mornin’, Scott.” After a few moments of silence, Frank asked, “So, whad’ya think, is this crew gonna last all summer?”

  Scott thought carefully before answering, “Got the skill of a good crew, that’s for sure. But it jus’ don’ seem like we workin’ good together. You an’ me do real well, but the rest of ‘em I jus’ don’ know about.”

  “Yeah?... I think it’ll sort itself out in the long run, just gotta keep that Alaska in his place. Digging line yesterday was all right, didn’t you think?”

  “Sure was. The crew’s lookin’ all right on the outside, but there’s some cracks that ain’ got nothin’ to do with firefightin’ ability,” Scott offered.

  “Squad Two?”

  “Yeah, they’re part of the problem.”

  “Randy seems pretty cool.”

  “Maybe he is, but he’s with ‘em, ain’ he?”

  “Yeah, but he’s their leader. And we both know they need someone to keep ‘em in line.”

  “Who’s really leadin’ -- the dog, or the guy walkin’ that dog?”

  “If Randy’s not the one leading, then that squad is screwed, that’s all I know.” Frank mused.

  “I don’ really give a shit. I’ll keep workin’ long as I can. If the crew lasts, then fine. If not, then it ain’ my problem.”

  “Yeah, but you an’ me’ll be out of a job for the rest of this summer. It is our problem.”

  “Been out of a job before. Ain’ nothin’ new d’me.”

  “Well, I need this job so I can pay for school. It better work out.”

  “School’s a good thing, man. Gotta keep it up.”

  “Yeah, someday I might actually use it.”

  “Frank, I gotta a tell ya somethin’. You probly the first guy I ever met who I’d say was definitely usin’ some a what he learnt in college. Maybe you ain’ in some fancy job with some fancy soundin’ title, maybe you ain’ even headed for that, but I tell ya, they teachin’ you somethin’ in there, I can tell.”

  Frank was enthralled to receive what he knew to be a compliment, though Scott’s exact meaning eluded him.

  “But I also hafta say... if you wanna really learn somethin’, books ain’ gonna do enough. It’s just like you can study a forest till you can tell me ‘bout every little plant out there, but you don’ know that forest and how it works, smells, feels, till you been out there spendin’ some time in it. Gotta have a feel for what it’s all about. Like Fast Horse, he didn’t ever study books ‘bout no forest, but I tell you he knows a damn lot, and sure as hell seems ta fit in in one.”

  “Yeah, he sure does.”

  “You was talkin’ ‘bout Todd and all them problems. Well, you gotta know what it’s like out there.” Scott paused and looked at Frank, who appeared quite anxious to hear what he had to say next. “I can take you to places an’ show you things you ain’ never gonna understand jus’ learnin’ at the University. You gotta know the people to understand the streets. Theories an’ statistics got somethin’ to ‘em, I ain’ sayin’ they don’, but the people are more than that, my man... more than that. And that’s the best thing in the world. Can’t quantify nobody.”

  Frank, already warmed by the close confidence that had developed between him and Scott, became nervous and excited, thinking about the prospect of learning first-hand what the streets were really all about. He was full of theories and was bristling to get a chance to hold them up against the cold realities of life. He and Scott were a team on the fire line, so why couldn’t they be a team in the real world, even if they did seem an odd pair? Each had knowledge and qualities the other lacked. Frank imagined that he might even be able to publish his findings and write important and influential articles. But why did Scott want to bother with this?

  “Scott, you don’t think my learning about how it’s all messed up is gonna do any good, do you?” Frank smiled.

  “Naw, I’d just get a kick out of rockin’ your little sheltered-whiteboy world. See your eyes get all wide ‘n shit.” Scott laughed at the puzzled look on Frank’s face.

  A small shaft of fear darted through Frank. He looked pensively at Scott, who had returned to eating. He knew Scott’s last words had been offered in jest, and he was reasonably sure Scott would never willingly allow harm to come to him. He was uncomfortable with the brief appearance of his fear, and tried to seal the opening through which it had entered. He knew he had to.

  “I’d really like for you to show me this... real world you say I need to see,” Frank said. “I do know what you mean about how filling your head with ideas from books isn’t enough. If you’re serious, I’d think like to take you up on the offer.”

  “I’m serious,” Scott said with a mouth full of corn flakes. “We’ll get ya set up with some old clothes an’ I’ll tell ya a few things to look out for. Show ya places you probably were scared to even drive through, and let’cha meet ol’ bums like me that you might never meet otherwise.” Scott laughed deeply at his depiction of himself. “You know, comin’ on this fire crew was a big step in the right direction. Aren’t you supposed to be a lifeguard at the country club this summer?”

  “Very funny.”

  Scott wondered what had gotten into him. He couldn’t believe that he sat there actually hoping the young man would take him up on such an odd offer. Part of him would get pleasure seeing someone as sheltered as Frank open his eyes a bit wider, but he realized that a desire to teach someone had somehow wormed its way into him. Scott looked at Frank and doubted that he could hope for a more willing student. Maybe he’d introduce him to Jerry’ that toothless old vet would probably love to have a long talk with a hopeful young man like Frank. Hell, that’s all Jerry did was talk.

  Scott looked again at Frank, this time with fondness welling up within. He realized how much he enjoyed the feeling that Frank’s trust gave him and that he had yearned for it more than he could have expected. He knew that to trust Frank in return, Frank would have to know more about the world he lived in. He thought about what a crazy idea it was to bring a green young man out into the streets with him, but he quickly convinced himself it could be done. It suddenly felt like he was doing something important. He examined this new feeling as he would examine a new coat he came across unexpectedly in a dumpster, holding up in disbelief and checking it for hidden flaws before trying it on. He gazed outside the tent and experienced an allencompassing, euphoric feeling of happiness as he watched the sun’s first rays begin to warm the cold morning air of the camp.

  And he was sober.

  “Hey Frank,” Alaska called out as Frank walked back to the crew’s camp. Alaska waited for Frank motionlessly as Fr
ank approached. “You gotta help me get the lunches.”

  “Okay.”

  The two men turned and walked toward the food supply truck in silence. It felt strange to Frank to be alone in Alaska’s presence.

  Alaska approached the table, where a female concession worker sat behind a small stack of papers. “Willamette crew,” Alaska announced, trying to sound authoritative.

  “Yeah, we’re a little behind, just wait a few minutes.”

  Alaska responded by huffing at the worker in displeasure, embarrassing Frank. Alaska then tried glaring at the woman, but she ignored him with dignity. “It’ll be ten minutes. You can wait right there,” she said, parentally, and pointed to a table with two chairs next to it.

  “This is fucked!” Alaska hissed with contempt. He then flopped agitatedly into one of the two chairs. Frank sat down uneasily beside him. The two passed several minutes in silence before Alaska, whose anger had quickly cooled, spoke unexpectedly, “Yeah, sometimes this fire stuff kinda irritates me.”

  “Yeah, I guess so,” Frank said, and was suddenly afraid Alaska would be angry at what could easily be taken as an insolent remark.

  Alaska only sighed deeply. “It’s hard, though I don’t know what else I would do.”

  Frank’s fear disappeared and uneasiness quickly reclaimed him; Alaska’s mask of authority had fallen too easily. He felt pressure to warm to Alaska, who had never treated him as an equal, and it didn’t sit well with him. Then it occurred to Frank, after reviewing the way Alaska had dealt with the lunch woman, that perhaps his boss’s belligerent, abusive method of managing his squad could be traced to his ineffectiveness in dealing with people. Alaska was forced to resort to verbal and even physical abuse, never accomplishing his goal of control, never effective enough to be satisfied. Frank didn’t dare tell Alaska how he felt. He cursed himself for his cowardice, but resolved that it would be best not to speak his mind, even diplomatically. “Couldn’t you work on a fishing boat in Alaska or something like that... for a change of pace?” Frank asked.