The first few weeks of November were enlightening, to say the least. After a whirlwind of trainings, workshops, and power-point presentations, I was finally growing into a novice wildland firefighter. The only thing I felt like I hadn’t done yet was be on a fire, though it seemed like a long way off to [...]

One of the most shocking things about the tornado zone in Joplin is the complete lack of living things. Not only are houses and cars missing from properties, but blocks upon blocks of city streets are bare of trees, shrubs, or even grass and flowers. Those trees still standing are often twisted, bare, and [...]