F.F.A.M.

Note From the Fire Marshal’s Wife – July 2021

Tonight, is Tuesday, June 29th, 2021. My husband, your state fire marshal, just informed me that tonight was the last night to get an article in for the next newsletter. I love writing for the newsletter, but I am not prepared. I am racking my brain as to what subject to write for this one. What would resound in the firefighting world at this moment in time? July 4th, 2021 is just around the corner, so of course, war and heroism come to my mind.

I randomly let my mind wander to tomorrow. Tomorrow is Wednesday, June 30th. And that is when it hits me! I immediately scroll through a few texts I received last week on Wednesday, June 23rd from retired firefighter Joe Woyjeck.

Joe and his wife Anna live in Seal Beach, California and they lost their son, Kevin, in the Yarnell Hill Fire near Yarnell, Arizona on June 30th of 2013.

The Yarnell Hill Fire was a wildfire ignited by dry lightning on June 28th, 2013. On June 30th, it overran and killed 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. Kevin Woyjeck was one of the 19 to perish that day. Just one of the hotshots on the crew survived that day. The Yarnell Hill Fire is the sixth-deadliest American firefighter disaster in history, the deadliest wildfire in Arizona, and the most publicized event in wildland firefighting in history.

Tim and I met Joe at Lake of the Ozarks, on May 17th, 2021. He was a guest speaker at the conference, and we were blessed by being able to hang out later that evening with him. When Joe learned that we were going to be in Los Angeles, California, visiting our two kids two weeks later, he graciously invited us to visit The Los Angeles County Fire Museum in Bellflower, California. On Saturday, May 27th we met up at the museum, and Joe and his wife, Anna, both were there. It is a destination I would suggest to anyone to put on your bucket list.

July 4th, 2021 is just around the corner. War and heroism come to mind. Firefighters find themselves in a certain kind of war and heroism every day that they suit up and heed the call to be tested, to be used, to be taught, and to lay down their life for the love of someone else.

Firefighters are the rare and amazing people who remind you why it is worth it.
If you have not watched the 2017 movie, based on the Granite Mountain Hotshots, titled Only the Brave you should. Blessings.