Corn Moon
Though summer was still burning bright in the lower elevations, perched high in the mountains, Piston Peaks experienced the tug of autumn. The trees were starting to turn from the green of growth to an explosion of yellows, reds, oranges, and browns. The wildlife began to go into hyperdrive working to gather enough fuel to get them through the long winter months or actively beginning the preparations to start migrating to warmer climates. And while the air during midday still held the warmth of a summer day, the early morning held the chill and frost of the colder weather that was soon to come. At the Piston Peaks Air Attack Base all of these signs pointed in one direction. It was the season for prescribed burns.
The decision to clear the undergrowth around a particularly popular campground was made by the team leaders as the sat and sipped coffee tucked just inside the main hangar door. It was a particularly grey morning and the forecast indicated that they should plan for a proper downpour that evening which would help make sure that all the embers would be properly drowned.
"Alright, people." Blade turned to stare down the vehicles who were chowing down on breakfast inside the hangar. "Let's get moving, so we can set a burn this afternoon. Patch, get a TFR in place for the Anchor Lake East Campground."
"Rodge." The dispatcher said as she ditched her dishes in the sink and headed out to the tower.
The rest of the day's work snapped easily into place. Pinecone headed down to the campground to brief the campers and soothe any of the park's visitor's fears with her impeccable southern charm, while the rest of the smokejumpers scrapped a line in the forest floor down to mineral soil to provide a proper fireguard.
When the prep work was done, Chief Ranger and Windlifter arrived at the campground transporting the equipment then jumpers would need to light the prescribed burn, as well as, lunch. The smokejumpers practically inhaled the food, but they couldn't start their work until after the last piece of the prescribed burn puzzle arrived...Pulaski and Rake.
The 20 minutes it took for the park's structural rig to arrive felt like a painful eternity for little smokejumpers. Then they had to wait for another 45 minutes for Pulaski to properly soak all structures on the edges of the campground as a 'just in case' measure. Only once the fire rig was satisfied that his fire prevention work was complete did he roll up and park himself next to his fellow firefighters.
"So...now do we get to let everything burn?" Drip asked with a look of absolute glee.
Blade looked at Dynamite and Pulaski. Both vehicles gave a nod of approval. "Yes, we can set the fire, just make sure you stay either in the fireguard or in the black."
The smokejumpers were already making a beeline towards their drip torches before the Chief could finish his statement.