Battling Blazes

Wildfires are some of Earth’s most destructive forces. They start in wilderness areas but can spread quickly to towns and cities nearby.

Fighting a wildfire is a lot different from fighting a fire that starts in a building. Wildfires often burn through remote areas that fire trucks can’t reach. To tame the flames, planes or helicopters drop water or chemicals on them.

Meanwhile, hotshots are hard at work on the ground. Their job is to contain the fire, or stop it from spreading. They use chain saws, shovels, and other tools. Hotshots remove anything that could fuel the flames. Some hotshots cut up trees and large logs. Then others remove the wood and dig deep trenches around the fire so it has nowhere to go. Hotshots may spend weeks fighting a wildfire.

Dealing with extreme heat and thick smoke is a big part of the job. “You feel like you’re on the surface of the sun,” says Moore. “Your eyes are watering, your nose is running, and you’re coughing all the time.”    

Hotshots have one of the world’s most dangerous jobs. At any second, the wind can change a fire’s speed and direction—and block escape routes. Despite the danger, Moore insists that he never gets scared on the job.

“We have a tremendous amount of respect for the forces we’re dealing with,” he says. “As long as we’re doing things the right way, fear isn’t a factor.”