Fighting Flames and Fear: A Photo Story








Story by Evelyn Calhoon
Photos by Rachel Scheuring

Rachel Scheuring sought adventure. The University of Taiwan enrolled Scheuring, but between her junior and senior year she drastically changed her life.

 
"I took myself out of it. I called up the University and my parents saying 'I can't do this. I'm joining the US Forest Service'... My parents had a heart attack."

A story of Scheuring's scariest moment is integrated as audio in the photo above.


"I remember looking at myself in the mirror, and thinking 'Oh my god, I looked like a shot putter.'"

"I know how to work a chainsaw pretty well. And even though I was making rookie mistakes right and left, they made me carry a saw for a fire a couple of times. I remember walking out of fire camp, which was filled with so many fire crews, and to see a woman carrying a fire saw (reserved for the best firefighters), they started cheering for me"

"I was coming off a night shift at the Yellowstone Fire, and I was talking to one of the leaders at the front of the bus. It was really quiet in the bus, so I looked around and the entire school bus full of fire fighters had their heads tilted down sleeping."

While fighting fires, Scheuring also battled against a culture of sexism. She originally worked for the Category 2 crews, which are the backup fire fighters. She was welcomed by the team, recalling, "The guys would help me wrap up my hands to cover up the blisters and would encourage me." 

However, just a year later, the US Forest Service promoted her to the elite fire-fighting crew: the Hot Shots. Immediately upon arrival, the tension in her new crew was noticeable. Although only a few members of the group did not accept her, the atmosphere was so uncomfortable that she thought of quitting. With encouragement from her boss, Scheuring decided against leaving and instead persevered in her career as a firefighter. For Scheuring, being a pioneer for women wasn't what led her to fight fires, but her toughness in the face of fear blazed a trail for all women who dare to follow. 

Fires are a tremendous force of nature. In fact, fires create their own weather. Here, a cumulonimbus cloud plumed from a fire.