Fly the Biggest Piece Back

by Jerry Mathes II (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

Veteran wildland firefighter Jerry Mathes II takes readers into the heart of wildfires from the forests of Idaho to the deserts of the Mexican border and reveals the camaraderie of men and women bonded by the terror and beauty and hardship of life on the fireline. He makes us live through thunderstorms scattering lightning and hail, endure the high summer heat and shivering nights where bears prowl through wilderness spike camps, and the quiet days of reflection waiting for what may come next. With a poets lyricism he tells of the life and death of friends, negotiating the bureaucracy of the federal fire service, the rivalry of competing agencies, and carrying the weight of absence from his daughters as they grow and the desperate feeling he is failing even as he seems to be succeeding. Readers live alongside him as he grows from a stunned rookie trembling under flames arcing hundreds of feet into the air to a seasoned member of the training cadre, bringing full circle his life on fire by fusing hard won field experience with the classroom to give his students the tools to work and survive in the chaotic fire world so that they can slay the dragon and the dragon does not slay them.

by Erich Krauss (Author), RCFD Deputy Chief Mike Bell (Foreword)

A dramatic look from the front lines at the most devastating fire siege in California history With over seven miles of urban/wildland interface unburned for thirty years and beautiful homes lacing in and out of its picturesque hilly terrain, Rancho Cucamonga was a powder keg--one that finally exploded in October 2003 with a ferocity no one could have expected. Now, Erich Krauss brings you to the ever-shifting front lines of the battle against the catastrophic inferno, the rugged terrain, and the ferocious winds, where municipal and wildland firefighters joined forces to save thousands of homes and lives. Wall of Flame recalls the unprecedented events surrounding the Grand Prix Fire, revealing the moments of apparent indecision, the lack of coordination, and even how local, state, and federal firefighters--each with missions that at times opposed one another--put their differences aside for the greater good in order to save Southern California. With each passing hour, the fire grew larger and their task more immense. Mistakes were made. Plans collapsed. Even the most seasoned firefighters felt the world close in. But they persevered. After all, it was their city, their homes, and their loved ones they were entrusted to protect. Their community was counting on them to save their homes and all the history they had wrapped up in them. This was a battle they could not afford to lose.