An article in the Wetumpka Herald paints a glowing picture of the U.S. Forest Service firefighters conducting a prescribed fire on the Talladega National Forest in Alabama. Here is an excerpt:
The sweet aroma of Southern pine tree snags smoldering on a warm February afternoon is a fragrance most appreciated when standing on the safe side of a secure fireline. Creeping across the blackened Alabama landscape, smoke alone remained from the intense flames that rolled through the forest earlier in the day.
The fire crew made executing a successful Sunday morning prescribed burn on 1,800 acres of the Oakmulgee Ranger District in the Talladega National Forest look easy, like this group had been working in step their entire lives. In reality, this team of skilled fire specialists, wildlife biologists, timber markers and equipment operators hailed from ranger districts throughout Alabama and even included a volunteer from Oregon. Well versed in teamwork, communication, fire behavior and safety, each member of this diverse band share one common passion—they love fire.
A fervor for prescribed fire, combined with the proper training and experience, creates a skill set that provides invaluable benefits to the forest ecosystem.
Wow.
The definition of fervor:
- Intense and passionate feeling
- Intense heat
Congratulations to the firefighters on the Talladega National Forest.
