Untangle

Trapped in vines that gripped my life, I stood there trying to get my brain working again. I had been trained for this. Chatter over the radio increased as a mayday was issued. Smoke began to sink low to the ground just as help began to arrive. Not good.

" Flash over, don't come in!" I screamed, now terrified of meeting the same fate as my dad, the only thing worse would be watching my crew go with me.

"Aurora," Adonis's voice finally broke through my panic, " Listen to me. We got no time! You need to remain calm. Don't thrash around. To get loose you gotta wiggle out calmly." I did not want to be the reason my partner died, taking a deep breath, I reached my free hand carefully to my helmet. A wire had wrapped around my tag. The smoke started getting lower and the air hotter. I unclipped the tag letting it fall to the ground. The same wire that had my tag some how wrapped a my wrist and arm. This would be more difficult. I remembered a seatbelt cutter in my left pocket. I had felt it when I put the dinosaur in. With my tangled hand I held the wire and cut with my free hand. Flashover could happen at any second. The smoke was low and thick.

"I'm free. We need to crawl out," I exerted, I was trapped long enough for my air to be dangerously low. We both got on our hands and knees and crawled backwards with the hose. Just as we reached the door I was jerked back by Rondo as the flashover finally ignited.

" That was fucking close," I sighed removing my equipment to get some water. The fire had no signs of stopping. We were loosing the battle. It almost felt like the fire was fed by accelerants.

"That fire is fucking hot," Rondo said, "It has to be arson."

" I was just thinking that too. The fire has been burning almost an hour and no signs of slowing. Even if it had accelerants they should have burned off and the fire shouldn't be spreading so rapidly."

"That's true. This fire doesn't make any sense at all," Adonis replied. His face looked hot and he took heaven breaths.

" Are you alright? You don't look great."

"I'm good. I'm just glad you're safe Aurora, don't do shit like that again."

"Fine. Hey you don't think," I started, thinking about the stove, " Wasn't the stove in there gas? You don't think they forgot to turn off the utilities?" Sudden realization dawned on their faces.

"Shit. That could be it. Let me check with the staging officer," Adonis took off in that direction. We were left waiting. Looking around I could see families standing around there building, watching everything they own be obliterated. My heart ached In my chest. A young boy crying in his mother's hand. He had only a shirt and diaper. I saw a few other children standing near their parents. The shock of the fire lingered on their face. I pulled out the little dinosaur I picked up. He was covered in soot but otherwise okay. I knew this little guy belonged to that boy. I went to the truck and pulled out some purple cleaning wipes and gave that thing the best sponge bath a dinosaur could have. Then I went to reunite him with his owner. Naturally this Dino got a fire badge sticker before we made our way.

"Hey little guy," I cooed, "is this your Dino?"

" Where did you find that!" His mother wailed. Her sons arms reached for his companion and happily I gave it to him.

"Dada," the toddler said, giving it a squeeze.

"That dinosaur is irreplaceable, when he didn't have it I thought it would be gone forever. Thank you so much." The little squeezed it and a voice was drawn from it, "Bubby, daddy loves you, be good for momma."

"Bubby, daddy is with us. He helped us be safe." Tears filled this mother's eyes and I could see pain twinkling in them. She had lost her husband recently. No words were needed to explain. I simply saw the pain that I see in myself.

"He helped me be safe too, your Daddy is one tough guy." I stepped out of my comfort zone and hugged the two of them as she weeped. These are the moments we live for.

" We need you in staging, Adonis is getting water but asked me to come get you. We might actually start winning this thing, you were right about utilities." Rondo said grasping my shoulder. We headed back quickly.

"Thanks for coming to get me," I smiled, "Haven't you learned women are always right?"

"Yes," he beamed, "No problem, I saw what you did there. You know that had to mean a lot to them."

"I know. Thanks," I responded, no at staging I waited for my assignment. They needed more on people on exposure protection. I was told to get on a ladder and went down the delta side of the structure. I needed to find someone to hold the ladder for me while I was in the ladder because my crew was either busy or needed a rest. I found a person who looked lost. I walked to him, he was wearing Pasadena bunker gear and wasn't someone I knew. Usually I would be weary of putting my life in a strangers hands but I needed to get working on my task.

" You wanna hold the ladder for me?" Without answering he picked it up from the ground were it lay. Setting up the ladder, his gloved hands stabilizing it for me to ascend. Once up I began spraying, using the same pattern as before. The one thing I hated most about fires was being soaked to the core with sweat and water and then soot becoming trapped onto my skin. From this vantage point I could see flames burning through the roof. It looked as if the far portion of the structure had begun deteriorating.

I adjust my weight in order to get some approaching fire. Then I felt a small jerk under me. Careful I looked down to see that my partner had gone. Without a word he left me on a ladder with a hose putting out 100psi.

"Who the fuck does that," I shouted. The ladder

jerked again, I reached my hands out, dropping the hose. There was nothing to grab onto and I was about ten feet up. Today is not my lucky day. I carefully tried to descend. It wobbled and swayed under my weight. I made it down three steps before it finally gave, both arms flung in front of my trying to slow my fall. Hitting the ground knocked the wind out of me. The hose spraying not far from were I landed was thankfully pointed away from my face. The ladder lay under my chest as let my heartbeat slow.

"What the hell happened? Who was holding the ladder?" Jack appeared to be headed towards the rehab truck and stumbled across me while I lay on the ground.

"Fucking Pasadena. One of those assholes did this shit." Anger got me on my feet. Their chief was about to get a call in the morning.

"Are you hurt? Did you hurt your ribs again?" He grabbed my shoulders and searched my face for pain.

" I'm good. I didn't get hurt. I'm just pissed."

"Go to rehab, I'm pretty sure that once Cap. hears about this he's gonna want you to take a break. You're like a magnet for bad luck. I'll get this taken care of." He pointed to the ground. I nodded and headed back. My body had used all the adrenaline it could muster and now I felt tired. This fire had gone on for nearly three hours.