Is Every Firefighter a Pyromaniac?

Fire season has begun on much of the western half of the United States. For those of us in the Northwest it has been slow. Some area's are really bad and others not as much. Very soon we will get our dispatch to who knows where.

There are two camps out there. The firefighters and the rest of the public. If you ask the public (and that is most of you reading this) fire is a bad thing. I wont argue that point one bit, to a point. Fire can be good if it is a good clean burn. But that's another article for another day.

 If you ask a firefighter fire is a good thing. I have yet to find a firefighter that doesn't like fire. However, most I talk to don't like a destructive fire. Well sort of. Fire fighters LOVE to work on a fire and they LOVE fire. The bigger the better. It's exciting and amazing to watch. We see some amazing things out there.

I have talked to many firefighters on the line and they (and myself included) love the work. But if you pin them down they don't want to see the woods burn any more then you the public do. Not only do they love the fires but they love the outdoors. They hunt, fish, hike, camp, and, many other outdoor activities.

So unlike many of you they don't want to see the woods burn to the ground. However, if you see a wildfire fighter and ask him or her about fire they will light up and probably tell you some kind of story. They will likely show you pictures that they have taken on a fire. They will be very excited. So to answer the question of whether or not a firefighter is a pyromaniac, the answer is very simple. The answer is YES!