Those Few, Those Happy Few
Those Responding to the LA Fires Should Renew Our Faith in Cooperation and Service
“I can think of no more stirring of man’s humanity to man than the firetruck.”
Those are the words of American author Kurt Vonnegut. During World War II, he survived a conflagration during the firebombing of Dresden, Germany, that he would memorialize in Slaughterhouse Five. It’s always been one of my favorite quotes.
Allison Donahue in a post about Vonnegut’s lifelong appreciation of firefighters, wrote:
“Vonnegut’s identification with these civil servants was personal and deep-rooted. References to their constancy, professionalism and quiet heroics are a theme running throughout his half-century of novels and stories. Firemen symbolized for him the Midwestern ethic of neighborliness and mutual aid he had learned growing up in Indianapolis.”
Vonnegut himself would write, “[W]hen the alarm goes off, [they] are almost the only examples of enthusiastic unselfishness to be seen in this land. They rush to the rescue of any human being, and count not the cost. The most contemptible man in town, should his contemptible house catch fire, will see his enemies put the fire out. There we have people treasuring people as people.”
Americans have long revered firefighters, as Vonnegut notes. From Benjamin Franklin’s “Bucket Brigade” in Philadelphia to millions of little kids (me included) who’ve dressed up as a fireman for Halloween, the tankers, pumpers, and ladders, shiny apple red, lights and sirens wailing have signaled that something bad has happened, but that the calvary was on the way.
I have a personal appreciation, too. One night, when I was seven years old, my parents were out of the house (this is the 80s, don’t call CPS - the GenXers understand.) Watching TV in our basement, I spied a mason jar full of coins sitting atop the bookshelf. In that moment, I desperately needed to know how much those pennies, nickels, and dimes were worth.
Climbing the stacks, I pulled the jar to the edge. Only as it tipped over did it race through my seven year old brain that coins are…heavy! It smacked me on its way down, splitting my forehead open and leaving a trail of blood all the way to the kitchen.
Being a precocious and enterprising child, I dialed 911. I told the dispatcher what happened and they sent a firetruck and an ambulance. Imagine being a little kid as gigantic firemen walk into your kitchen and bandage you up. Several stitches later, I was fine; my mom wouldn’t be for years.
Other people say I’ve never fully recovered from that bonk on the noggin.
Nostalgia aside, seeing the sacrifice of hundreds of FDNY members on 9/11 left an indelible mark on our national psyche. Seeing the pilots of a fascinating variety of planes and helicopters make drops over hotspots is breathtaking. Seeing men and women in helmets, yellow tunics, and work pants, often armed with axes, picks and shovels, not hoses, should amaze us.
When local services are overrun, as they are in Los Angeles right now, I am filled with pride as the trucks and personnel from other departments, from near and far, get on the highway to assist their comrades. Aside from the LA Fire Department, there is CalFire, the US Forest Service, and crews from Northern California and Nevada have deployed in support. At least one aircraft is CANADIAN!
Not long ago, there was a roughly defined ‘fire season’ across the western US, typically from May to November. Southern California’s rainfall has been sparse during what is supposed to be the rainy season. The Santa Ana Winds, begin as very dry air from the Mojave Desert blows west instead of east, picking up speed and heat as they go. Low humidity, overgrown brush, and high winds create perfect conditions for what we’re seeing now.
Fires have popped up not just in Pacific Palisades, but across Los Angeles County. The weather reports are not promising for the coming days. Per the National Weather Service, a Red Flag warning remains in effect through 6 pm Pacific on Friday. The mountains could see gusts up to 45-55 mph. Western LA could see winds in the 25-35 mph range, with humidity below 20%.
In these conditions, it only takes one ember to reduce a family home to a pile of ash and memories gone forever. The crews must not only battle the fires, but the winds, and rickety infrastructure which in some cases has caused fire hydrants to lack the pressure necessary to put water on flame.
Still, those men and women will be there, all day and all night, through smoke, wind, and debris, to save lives and property. Per the LA Times, five people are already confirmed dead and more than 9,000 structures destroyed. The fire crews put their own lives on the line to save the things we too often take for granted until its too late.
A lot of us are in a funk right now. I’d guess many of us have friends or acquaintances who’ve been affected by the LA fires or one of the many natural disasters that befall us every year. For now, let’s put away our anger and angst and appreciate that there are still Americans who, when the call comes, do their duty without hesitation, on our behalf.
News and Notes:
I’ve included a link to FEMA resources related to the Palisades and other fires here.
You can read a post from LAist here, about how to help as well.
Being a trauma nurse I’ve trained and worked with paramedic firefighters my entire career. Love this tribute, so well done! Currently live in Vegas, thanks for including our crews in your article! 🙏🔥💕
It was like fighting a Hurricane of Fire. That is how one person described it. What a heartbreaking situation. But the stories of responders, neighbors and strangers helping one another is heartfelt. Cooperation leading to hope rising out of this terrible situation renews our faith in each other.