For two weeks, certified wildland firefighter Rebecca Winch left her home in Florida and joined firefighters from across the country to fight the Dolan Fire in Big Sur California.
The Dolan fire is believed to have been started by arson. More than 128,000 acres have burned. Rebecca's crew worked at night, watching backburned areas and making sure no new fire popped up. "They need all of the help they can get. They are really short on resources. We laid down a lot of hose to protect the structures, we were watching for things rolling downhill towards structures, but honestly, we kept all those structures safe and that’s what matters," said Winch. "If fire gets below you it can roll uphill very quickly so you always have to be on your toes."
By daylight, her rig encountered the locals.
"They were really thrilled we were there. It was great to meet them and get a feel on how they were being affected by the fires," said Winch.