Firefighter spouses worried about early start to fire season
By DREW REEVES
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THE DALLES, Oregon (KPTV) — As hundreds of firefighters work to contain the Bootleg Fire burning in Southern Oregon, there are also hundreds of families left to stay home and hope those firefighters get back safely.
The Bootleg Fire has now engulfed more than 200,000 acres in Klamath County. The area continues to experience hot, dry and windy conditions.
“It kind of brings me back to last year,” said Triell Noble.
Noble said that this brings back memories of last year’s historic wildfires. Triell lives in Dallas, Oregon, with her husband, James. He works as a privately contracted firefighter who has been sent to the Bootleg Fire to work as an engine boss.
“This is very early. He got called out in the middle of last month, which never happens,” Noble said.
She says this doesn’t bode well for the rest of summer.
“The whole fire community is like this is too early and it’s hot, like, we never get triple-digit weather in June, that sucked,” she said.
Noble says that she knows being without her husband is part of the job despite the early start. She’s used to not seeing him for weeks out of the year.
“Usually it’s end of July, beginning of August that he gets called out, and then he usually doesn’t come home until usually September,” she said.
While many would be constantly worried about their partner’s safety, Noble said that she’s able to remain calm while her husband is gone. She also relies on other firefighter spouses who help each other through the long summers.
“We all take care of each other. It’s kind of like the military,” she said.
Noble said that this fire season does feel different because of how early it’s begun. She is hoping that firefighters continue to get the support they need to try and keep wildfires at bay this wildfire season.
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