Field day at the fire academy.

Turnouts and an air tank have weight!

Once upon a time… CDF held an event for reporters I think of as a play day. I had a wonderful time rappelling down a tower, driving a fire engine, and crawling into a cement building. Then they set a pile of debris on fire in the center of building.

Those tanks are heavy and so are the turnouts. They are awkward to move in and hot as Hades. I much preferred to wear the Nomex, when out covering woodland fires.

Something else I learned: fire doubles in size every 30-60 seconds. Time depends on fuel type, air flow, and the presence of a fire suppression system. Those suppression systems delay the spread so the occupants can get out. They should not be relied upon to put out the fire.