Page 5 of Burned By Fire

“I remember my grandpa telling me stories from the 1940s of romantic dates with my grandmother there. I hope we can save it,” I say.

“With a bit of luck and a skilled task force, I hope we’ll get a grip on the situation fast. They’ve asked for outside help from a few of the neighboring towns, though, so we need to prepare for the worst.”

“Firehouse 13 is on its way and we’ve got this. They called in the best team to help them out,” Liam says, making us laugh.

By the time we’ve reached Prescott, the mood isn’t so high. The flames can be seen at the top of the huge, iconic building, and the scene is unfolding in organized chaos. We quickly get into position while the chief goes to get the brief from the Prescott squad.

The fire’s too large to enter the building or use individual hoses, so we erect the aerial ladder, aiming for high flow. I help Liam connect the hose to the pump. The chief comes back a few minutes later to relay the information.

“The building’s abandoned, so there’s no one inside. Firehouse 13 is going to tackle the south entrance. There are four teams here and each one has been given a segment. We’re going to concentrate on our zone only. Is everyone ready?”

“Yes, Chief,” we all say in unison.

“Ember, I want you to liaise with the Prescott squad in the communication tent and keep us in the loop. Chief Lloyd is in charge and more than capable of leading this mission.”

“Okay.” I’m disappointed I’m not in the middle of the action and more involved with our team, but I follow the chief’s orders. I want to be the best firefighter I can be, even if I don’t always agree with the decisions.

I head into the tent where Dylan returned from.

“Chief Lloyd. I’m Ember from the Armstrong squad. How can I help?”

“Welcome. You can call me Riley. Have you attended a fire of this magnitude before?” He looks me over, and it’s obvious he thinks he’s working with a rookie. He’s right. Not too long ago, I was a candidate. The other guys in the tent snicker, but I block them out.

“No, Sir,” I say, truthfully. “But I’m here to do my job.” I stand up taller, trying to show I mean business. Being fairly new doesn’t mean I’m not a good firefighter.

He nods before his lips curl up. The smile on his face lets me know I earned his respect by staying positive.

Over the next ten hours, I follow every order thrown at me, and we finally get the fire under control. The flames start to die down, even though the heat is still radiating. We work together through most of the day to completely extinguish the fire. The old theatre will never be the same, but at least it’s still standing.

“You did good, Ember,” Riley says, patting me on the back as the men start to head out.

“Thanks.” I let the tiredness wash over me, knowing I’ll be going home soon.

He packs the final communications equipment into a bag. “If you want to leave Armstrong and join the action brought in by a bigger firehouse, you should give me a call.” He hands me his office number scribbled on a piece of paper.

“Sure. Thank you.” I slip it into my pocket, pleased he enjoyed working with me. Even though I don’t know how I feel about the proposition, I’ll give it some thought. The communication tent comes down easily and we fold it into its box.

Dylan comes to get me once the team is packed up and we’re ready to leave. I climb into the truck next to Liam. The exhaustion from the day is written on everyone’s faces. “We saved at least half of the building,” I say, rehashing the information I found out from Chief Lloyd.

“The roof was already collapsing when we arrived, so I think that’s good,” Liam says.

“I’m proud of every one of you. You all stepped up when we needed it the most. Once we’re back at the firehouse, hit the showers, and I’ll see you all tomorrow,” Dylan says.

I do as he suggests, and when I’m ready, I go to my Aunt Jackie’s office building. I’ve been renting the top floor since I moved out of my mom’s house. I haven’t spoken to my mom since we argued about her boyfriend, Robert. She seems to have a gift for picking the wrong guys, but the latest one wanted me to leave the house, and my mom didn’t put up a fight.

I park around the back and go in the front door. I’ll be back at work too soon, so I need to get some sleep. First, I grab a bowl of cereal and start to open my mail. I’m alone in the building, and it’s deadly quiet. I open the bills and pile the junk mail together. The last envelope is a thick brown one with a picture of two rings on it. The mail has been sent across from my mom’s and is probably a few weeks old. Delicately, I open it up and find a wedding invitation from one of my high school friends. I inwardly groan. I knew it was coming because Maya, the bride-to-be, had mentioned it the last time we’d spoken on the phone. I’d told her I was coming, even though I hadn’t been to collect my mail. She’d been quizzing me on my relationship status, but I kept it vague. Finding a plus one is my only option, or I’ll be sitting at the singles table, which isn’t appealing. I don’t mind being on my own until events like this. I’m focused on my career so I don’t have much time to date, but it would be nice to have someone to take to parties.

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