(A/N: I do not own Paw Patrol, enjoy!)
Burnt Marshmallows
Snowflake was taking a late night walk with her owner, his name was Benjamin. He was an elderly gentlemen and did not go out as much as he used to. When he did, it was usually late at night to avoid crowds and Snowflake would help guide him on their walks. Snowflake didn't mind, she loved the city at night. From the way the lights sparkled to peaceful background noise. The city was never truly silent and you would be hard pressed to see the stars but walking the tree-lined streets was still calming.
They were about halfway through their walk when the turned a corner. Suddenly, a glass bottle fell from above and shattered barely five feet away. Snowflake yelped in surprise and jumped back, moving Benjamin against the building. Moving the edge of the sidewalk and looking up, Snowflake could see smoke starting to billow from the top of the building and heard people yelling. "This building is on fire, we need to get to the opposite corner!" Snowflake worriedly told Benjamin. Snowflake carefully led him across the intersection. Reaching the other side, Snowflake turned around to see the roof the building rapidly becoming engulfed in flames. The people on the roof were already clambering down the fire escape. Snowflake guided Benjamin into the convenience store on the corner to get him away from the smoke. Seeing a man behind the counter, Snowflake started to bark at him. Snowflake was nervous talking around adults so she usually just barked and used gestures to get her point across. The man came around from behind the counter and was about to shoo the two of them away when he saw Snowflake pointing to the fire. He face turned white as he ran back to the counter and grabbed a chordless phone. "911? Yes, I am calling to report a fire at the corner of Ficus and Agave… it is a two story building, I can see several people evacuating from the roof using the fire escape … it appears to be spreading rapidly through the building but not to any adjacent buildings … Ok, I'll call back if it spreads to other buildings." The man put the phone down and ran outside to help. "Good girl Snowflake" Benjamin softly said while petting her head.
At station 25, Fire Captain (Capt.) Matt was going through various paperwork when his radio crackled to life. "All units, we have a report of a structure fire at the corner of Ficus and Agave, Quint 23 and Light Force 25 respond code 3, unknown if an injuries, 25 you have command."
"Light Force 25 copies, I have command" Capt. Matt acknowledged as he depressed the station alarm button.
Marshall was just starting to doze off. He had stayed up later than he had intended talking to Everest and Skye who were having a Friday Night sleepover at the lookout. Marshall enjoyed talking with Skye because she was such a great story teller. Whenever he and Chase talked about what was going on, it was always detailed but dry. Skye made the stories come alive as if Marshall was actually there, with his team mates, responding on rescues. And Everest made it even more fun as she got involved and invested in the stories, her enthusiasm bubbling over. After saying goodnight, Marshall had brushed his teeth and laid down, hoping for a quiet night.
His hopes were dashed when the station alarm went off. Marshall ran to his locker and started dressing out while he listened to the report, "WE HAVE A REPORT OF A STRUCTURE FIRE AT THE CORNER OF FICUS AND AGAVE, UNKNOWN IF ANY INJURES, BOTH UNITS RESPOND CODE 3, QUINT 23 ASSIGNED AS SUPPORT."
Seconds later, Marshall, along with Misty, a female black and white border collie, and Shadow, a male black and dark grey American coonhound, were geared up and in the back seat of Engine 25. Camille, the driver already had the truck started and lights on. Paul, the engineer, hopped in the back with the fire pups and shut the doors. Capt. Matt, seeing his team ready, nodded to Camille as he shut his door. Honking the horn as she guided the truck out of the station, Camille activated the siren as they headed towards the fire. Sam and Alan, in Medic 25, pulled out right behind them.
"Ok team, not much information to go on" Capt. Matt started his briefing on the company tactical radio channel as they drove through the sleeping city. "First priority for us is to determine if anyone is left inside and get them out if we can. Second is to keep the fire from spreading. Sam, stick tight on our tail as we approach, I'm going to have you setup on the opposite corner from the fire in case you are needed. I'll put the quint on the downwind side to keep it from spreading. Camille, park us near the corner on the side with the entrance, we'll tie into the fire hydrant there." He received acknowledgements from his team before he turned his attention to the assisting quint. On his computer, he could see where they were responding from and that they would reach an upcoming intersection at the same time as LF 25. "Quint 23, Light Force 25, switch to TAC-5."
"Quint 23, acknowledged."
Now that Quint 23 was on the same channel as the rest of his team, he coordinated meeting them. "23, hold at the intersection before you turn onto Broadway, we are about to go flying through that intersection. Once Medic 25 clears, fall in behind them. Once on scene, I need you to setup on the downwind side and get your ladder up fast to get water on the fire from above to keep it from spreading."
"Sounds like a plan, we are plus-ed up with a couple pups in training as well, would you like us to have them setup a second hose from the truck?"
"Yes, have them rig it and I'll give them an attack point" Capt. Matt replied.
Snowflake was getting nervous. The fire was already spreading to the top floor of the building and did not show any signs of slowing down. All the people on the roof had made it down safely and were congregating on the corner with her and Benjamin. "What happened?" she heard the man from the convenience store ask them.
"We were making s'mores on the roof over our fire pit when a gust of wind blew all the hot embers onto the roof. We tried to put all of them out but some of them landed on the ventilation ducts and it caught fire before we could stop it" the dad replied.
"Thankfully we were able to get everyone down from the roof before it became unsafe" The oldest daughter added.
"Wait, we forgot the baby!" The mother cried out, "She is still inside!"
Everyone gasped in horror as they looked at the burning building. The mother tried to run back but her husband stopped her. "You'll die before you reach her" he yelled as she struggled, "Look! The Fire Department is here" he said pointing down the street at the rapidly approaching fire trucks, "they'll save her!"
"The wind is blowing across this street and the entrance is on this side. Park the engine on the far corner, and the quint on the near corner; 23 your hose should reach to the hydrant about a quarter of a block back so tie in there. Have your second hose run to the near corner and try and keep the fire from spreading any lower. Medic, setup by that convenience store where everyone is congregating. Make sure everyone is out of the building and alright" Capt. Matt issued his deployment orders and received a chorus of acknowledgements.
As Engine 25 stopped, Paul was the first one out and immediately started the pump on the truck. Shadow leaped out behind him onto the roof of the fire engine and activated the water cannon, spraying water up into the second story windows less than 30 seconds after the truck stopped. Marshall and Misty hopped out on the opposite side of the truck and grabbed the supply hose that was already connected to the truck and swiftly unrolled it to the fire hydrant. Misty ran back to grab the special wrench they would need to activate the fire hydrant while Marshall removed the cap from the hydrant and attached the hose. Camille jumped out and set the safety chalks on the wheels so that the truck wouldn't move before connecting the first attack hose to the truck. Misty arrived back at the fire hydrant with the wrench and once she had it locked in place, she and Marshall turned it together to let the water flow to the truck. Capt. Matt made his initial investigation of the fire and it was not good, they were going to need more trucks. He was about to call it in to dispatch when he heard Sam call his name, he ran over to where the people where congregated.
"Capt., there is a baby left inside!" Sam reported to him.
"Where?"
"Closest corner to us, second story!" the dad informed them, still holding his sobbing wife back.
"MARSHALL! MISTY!" Capt. Matt yelled, "GET YOUR S-C-B-As, WE HAVE SOMEONE TRAPPED INSIDE!" before turning back to the dad to get as much detail as he could.
Snowflake's ears perked up when she realized that the pup who had saved her was here. She heard two barks of acknowledgement and saw two fire pups run to the side of the fire engine.
Marshall and Misty quickly strapped on their Self Contained Breathing Apparatus packs and heavy turnout coats while Capt. Matt briefed them. "It is a baby, trapped in a room on the corner. Stairs should be right in front of you when you walk in the door. Go up the stairs and make a U-Turn to the right and it should be the last room on your left. I'm going to have the pups from the quint hose down the stairs to guard your exit. Any questions?"
"I'm fired up!" Marshall confirmed, starting his buddy check's on Misty's pack.
"Ready to rock!" Misty acknowledge as she did the same for Marshall.
"You are cleared to enter as soon as you are ready" Capt. Matt confirmed the order. "Shadow, get some water on that front right corner, see if we can keep it as cool as we can!"
"On it!" Shadow barked in response as he redirected the spray from the water cannon.
Capt. Matt switched his radio back to the dispatch channel, "Dispatch, Light force 25, all units on scene, we have one person trapped inside, initiating rescue now, require an additional task force."
"Light Force 25, no task force available, I can get you another quint and an engine" Dispatch informed him.
"Light Force 25, roger, that will work dispatch, have them check in on TAC-5" Capt. Matt requested.
"Dispatch copies, BREAK, Quint 27 and Engine 26, respond code 3 to structure fire at Ficus and Agave, check-in on TAC-5 with Light Force 25."
Shifting back to the company tactical channel, TAC-5, Capt. Matt ran over to the quint and flagged down their LT who was supervising his team getting the outriggers set in position so they could put the ladder up. "We have a baby that needs rescuing, I have two of my pups about to go in but I need your hose to protect the stairway inside." The LT nodded and started issuing orders to his own firefighters and fire pups. Capt. Matt turned back just in time to see Marshall and Misty run past Camille to the doorway. Finding it locked, Marshall barked out his fire axe and hacked the lock off in one powerful swing. Misty then cannon-balled into the door and they were inside.
Snowflake, watching from the corner, sucked in her breath, realizing that the pup she had a crush on was running into a burning building to save someone else's baby, risking his life without a second thought or any hint of reservation. The thought made her tingle…I wonder if it was the same when he saved me, no hesitation, no fear, just instantaneous action to save a life.
Inside, Marshall and Misty were greeted by a billowing wall of smoke. Flipping on their helmet lights, they carefully proceeded up the stairs, with Marshall in the lead. Reaching the top, approximately half of the second floor was covered in flames. They could hear the water from the ladder on the quint and the water from the engine's water cannon spraying against the fire. Marshall signaled for Misty to follow him and they carefully picked their way past the fallen debris. Misty yelped when part of the roof collapsed and landed next to her. Marshall patted her shoulder to reassure her and they continued working their way towards the bedroom.
Reaching the door, they found it jammed. "Ruff, Axe!" Marshall barked and his fire axe popped out. He carefully used the axe to pry open the handle. Once the handle was separated from the door frame, he carefully pushed open the door and walked into the room with Misty right behind him who then shut the door.
The room had managed to stay relatively smoke free because of the closed door but that was starting to change. Looking at the ceiling, Marshall could tell that the water had been somewhat effective in keeping it from catching on fire. There were a couple smoldering spots but the baby was safe in the crib. Marshall took off his mask and placed it over the baby's face to provide fresh oxygen while Misty carefully wrapped the baby up into a snug bundle with just enough slack so that she could clip the bundle to her harness without pinching the baby. When she was ready, she tapped Marshall on the shoulder and gave him the paw signal that she was ready to go. Marshall put his mask back on before carefully leading Misty with the baby to the door.
Marshall carefully opened the door and they were greeted by a wall of flame. Marshall and Misty instinctively hunched over the baby as the initial draft blew flames over them, their heavy turnout coats protecting them and the baby. Once the fire stabilized, they started working their way back towards the stairs. Marshall looked through the railing and could see the two fire pups from Quint 23 spraying water at the stairs to keep them from catching fire as long as possible. The fire had gotten significantly hotter and it seemed like many things around them were now burning. More debris had fallen from the ceiling too.
"Ruff, Water Cannon!" Marshall barked out his water cannon and started spraying ahead of them, trying to keep the fire from burning them as the two pups carefully worked their way back to the stairs. When they reached about a third of the way, part of the ceiling in front of them collapsed, sending debris flying. Again, Marshall and Misty covered the baby until the debris settled before continuing. Marshall had to use his water cannon to break apart some of the debris so they had a path. They were just past halfway when Marshall felt the temperature around them rise rapidly and the fire started to shift.
"FLASHOVER!" Marshall yelled, leaping backwards to Misty and pulling her and the baby down to the ground. Misty caught on to Marshall's warning and the two pups completely ensconced the baby in their heavy turnout gear. A split second later, the fire reached that magic temperature and fireballs explosively rolled throughout the house as every combustible item inside the house caught on fire simultaneously.
Outside, Snowflake was getting worried that the two fire pups hadn't come out with the baby yet. In that instant, every window on the house blew out from the explosive force of the flashover. Tongues of fire up to 20 feet long stretched out from the house. Snowflake's eyes went wide with fear. Reflexively, she guided Benjamin backwards, down the sidewalk away from the fire.
Capt. Matt felt the blast and saw the two fire pups from quint 23 get knocked to the ground. He also saw the stairs catch on fire. "CAMILLE, SHADOW, protect the doorway!" he yelled, directing both the truck's water cannon and fire hose to protecting the only way for his pups to get out.
Inside, Marshall and Misty had been crushed to the floor by the force of the blast. As soon as it passed, Marshall looked around and saw both the stairs on fire and the fire hose swinging about wildly because two fire pups below had lost control it when the blast knocked them down. "We have to go now" he yelled to Misty above the roar of the fire. He pulled Misty and the baby up and renewed his attack on the fire with his water cannon to clear them a path out.
Moving as quickly as they could safely, the two pups made it to the top of the stairs which were now engulfed in flames. The two fire pups below had managed to kink the wild hose to stop it from whipping all over the place. One of them ran to the nozzle and shut it so the other could release the kink. Once both pups were back on the nozzle they started spraying water in a fine mist to try and cool the area down so Marshall could hose down a path for himself and Misty.
Marshall barked to get their attention and then gave them the paw signal to start withdrawing. The pups acknowledged and slowly started working their way backward. Marshall's water cannon was almost empty and he focused on making a path down the stairs. Quickly descending with Misty right behind him, Marshall finally reached the bottom of the stairs and the protection of the other pups' water mist. Marshall signaled Misty to go and she sprinted past the other pups and out the door with the baby.
Snowflake was convinced no pup could have survived the explosion of fire she witnessed. The parents she was next to thought the same and had broken down in tears. Snowflake had placed her paw on the mother's shoulder, who was hysterical by this point, when she saw a fire pup come running out of the house with a bundling dangling from her harness. Snowflake gasped, barked and pointed. The parents turned and saw a fire pup sprinting towards the paramedics with their baby. The Paramedics collected the bundle from the fire pup and ran the baby back to the ambulance. The parents were crying tears of joys as the paramedics put an oxygen mask over the baby's face. Then the baby cried and the onlookers cheered. Against almost impossible odds, the fire pups had managed to save the baby.
Snowflake looked back at the fire pup that had brought the baby out. She realized it wasn't Marshall and she felt a pit forming in her stomach. As the other fire pup ran back to the truck, Snowflake wondered if Marshall had sacrificed himself so the other pup could save the baby. Snowflake pressed up against Benjamin and whimpered. Then she saw something.
First it was just a tail, then a whole fire pup holding a hose. Then two more fire pups backed out of the house, one on the nozzle and the other guiding his spray. Snowflake gasped and put her paw to her mouth. The pup directing the attack was Marshall. Amazingly, every pup that had entered burning house had now made it out safely. Marshall, his water cannon now empty, kept guiding the two trainee fire pups until they were safe on the sidewalk.
Turning the two pups back over to their LT, Marshall ran back to Engine 25. Doffing his SCBA and heavy turnout gear, Marshall grabbed a quick drink of water from Capt. Matt before helping Misty roll out two more fire hoses; one attached to the side of the engine and another attached to the front. Both Misty and Marshall immediately rejoined the attack on the fire. By this time, the additional trucks had also arrived and completed their setup. There were now two quints spraying water on the fire from above, two water cannons from the fire trucks, and no less than 7 different fire hoses manned by firefighters and fire pups attacking the fire from the ground.
Snowflake was stunned, Marshall was already back battling the fire after having to fight his way out of the inferno to save the baby. Snowflake was completely in awe of the fire pup. She and Benjamin continued to watch as the firefighters finally gained the upper hand on the fire. She heard the ambulance depart for the hospital with the baby and the mother. Little by little, the firefighters were gaining ground.
Capt. Matt continued to walk around directing the attack on the fire. They had succeeded in keeping the fire from spreading, only one or two areas had flared up which had been extinguished with extreme prejudice. Fewer and fewer flames were coming out of the house and more and more white smoke. Soon, only while smoke was coming out, indicating that the fire was almost out.
"Marshall, Misty, time to take the fight inside!" Capt. Matt directed. The two fire pups barked an acknowledgement, secured their hoses and re-donned their heavy turnout gear with fresh SCBAs. Marshall disconnected his hose from the front of the truck and dragged it parallel to Misty's hose. Removing the nozzle from her hose, Marshall connected his own. Double checking to make sure both sections of the now double length hose were laid out properly and wouldn't kink, Marshall and Misty worked their way back inside the house.
If Snowflake was stunned before, she was speechless now. She watched as Marshall and the other fire pup re-entered the burning building.
Inside, Marshall and Misty started to methodically work their way around the ground floor. Marshall was on the nozzle while Misty used a thermal imaging camera to look for any hidden fires. Dousing every single hot spot, the two pups finally reported that the fire was out on the ground floor.
Carefully, working their way up the stairs, checking each one to make sure it was stable, Marshall and Misty repeated the process on the second floor. By now, almost no smoke was coming from the house. The two fire pups continued their methodical investigation, dousing all the embers and smoldering debris. Water was dripping from everywhere and the floor was decidedly unstable in a few places but the two fire pups were satisfied that the fire was totally out. Backing out their hose, the two fire pups soon emerged outside and gave the signal to Capt. Matt who passed the signal along to the other trucks and soon no more water was spraying.
"Wow, that was incredible to watch" Benjamin remarked to Snowflake. "In all my years, I've never been able to watch firefighters work up close like this.
"It really was" Snowflake agreed, "The way they saved that baby and managed to keep such a massive fire from spreading is simply astounding. Her eyes were on the Dalmatian walking back to the truck, tired but triumphant. She really wanted to go speak to him but fate had other plans.
"Let's go home, Snowflake, it is late, I'm quite tired, and they are going to be here cleaning up for a while" Benjamin said.
"Can't we stay a bit longer?" Snowflake pleaded.
"Why?" Benjamin asked.
"I just feel like telling them what a wonderful job they did" Snowflake concocted her answer. One of them in particular she thought to herself.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, they are still very busy. But, if you want, we can take down the numbers on the trucks and send them cards if you would like" Benjamin answered. "But for now, please lead us home."
"Ok" Snowflake half-heartedly agreed as she turned to lead Benjamin home but her eyes were still on Marshall who was busy taking off all of his gear. He was drenched in sweat and gulping down water from a bottle one of the other pups was holding for him but to Snowflake he looked amazing. Snowflake sighed as she turned her head so she wouldn't trip and slowly led Benjamin towards home. One day Marshall, Snowflake thought, I will see you again, but not yet…not yet.
(A/N: Special thanks to Bluewolfbat for continuing to allow his OC Snowflake to have a role in these stories!)