VIDEO: The first day at a new job is a momentous occasion.
It’s especially true for the seven Bureau of Indian Affairs Crow Fire rookies who were sent to the front line on their first day.
“I thought we’d wait until like August or July, late you know, like I didn’t think we’d be working, and then the second day we were training, it’s just like, are we gonna be able to go?” said Bradie Pretty Weasel, 25, one of seven fire rookies. The answer was yes, as wildfire season on the Crow Reservation began early with the Buffalo Pasture Fire igniting on June 15 in the Bighorn Mountains.
“We were expecting to wait a little bit longer, but everything popped up,” said Leah Takesenemy, 19, who went through rookie school with her 21-year-old brother Tuff.