California Wildfires Mean 24-Hour Work Days, Weeks Away From Families For Firefighters
LAKE COUNTY (CBS13) — Most firefighters deployed to the massive wildfires across California are working away from their friends and family for weeks at a time.
Firefighters from Santa Rosa mopped up hot spots from the Rocky Fire as part of their 24-hour shift in hilly terrain.
"If you do anything for 24 hours—I don't care what it is; if you sleep for 24 hours—you're going to be tired. So just imagine if you gotta walk up and down hills and it's hot," said Jason Shanley.
It's one day on, one day off, until the job is done. Downtime is spent at base camp. Teams get their assignments at a morning meeting and crews head out around 9 a.m. and return the next day.
"It's been an adjustment," said Vanessa Murphy with the San Gabriel Fire Department. "I mean especially the first night. We're up literally working all night long, and you just gotta push through and find motivation."
Capt Michael Bailey, a 22-year veteran, has been deployed a number of times.
"At this point, the family's pretty used to it. so I just call and say 'I gotta go to the fire.' and they say 'be careful,' and I just call in to make sure they know I'm alright."
Chelsea Kirksey with the Rough & Ready Fire Department, on the other hand, is on her first-ever deployment. After working the Lowell Fire, her strike team was reassigned to the Rocky Fire. They've been gone nearly two weeks.
"I thought it would kick my butt and I thought I really couldn't do it, but I'm learning that even as a girl, I'm really tough and I can do this and it's possible," Kirksey said.
Murphy admits being away from family is tough.
"I was supposed to move on Thursday, so my husband is doing it all by himself," she said.
"Just because you're here at a fire and helping people doesn't mean life is not still going on at home. And so we have what you would call crisis counselors to help in case something happens at home," Shanley said.
Support from friends, family and even strangers keeps them going.
