The provided HTML code is a portion of a web article about a team of forest firefighters consisting entirely of women. The article highlights the challenges and rewards of wildland firefighting and the importance of diversity and inclusion in the field.The provided HTML code is a portion of a web article about a team of forest firefighters consisting entirely of women. The article highlights the challenges and rewards of wildland firefighting and the importance of diversity and inclusion in the field. The HTML code includes: 1. A header with the title “In the mountains of western Colorado…” and a subheader “Raechelle Seil prepared to start her workday…” 2. A body of text describing the work of the female firefighting crew, their training, and their motivations for joining the program. 3. Two images: – The first image shows a group of women working on a hillside with chainsaws. – The second image shows a close-up of one woman using a chainsaw to remove a tree branch. 4. A call-to-action at the end of the article, encouraging readers to support Marketplace’s independent journalism with a donation. Here is a summary of the article: In the mountains of western Colorado, a team of forest firefighters consisting entirely of women is working to get more women into the fire service. The program is a partnership between the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Western Colorado Conservation Corps. The women have all the training they need to fight wildfires for federal agencies. They work long hours carrying heavy loads and often camp near the workplace instead of sleeping in beds. Despite the challenges, the women say it is rewarding work that keeps them out and making a positive difference. The program has been successful, with about 80 percent of the women who have participated in the program in recent years securing jobs for at least the next season.
In the mountains of western Colorado, Raechelle Seil prepared to start her workday, unpacking her chainsaw and other tools next to a large pile of branches and brush.
“I had an office job before and I quickly discovered that I hate office jobs,” she says.
In recent months she has been assistant leader of a team of forest firefighters, one of which consisted entirely of women.
“We’ve been here before the green-up, and now we see all the flowers blooming here, and it’s really beautiful,” she said, gesturing toward Mount Sopris, a nearly 13,000-foot peak that overlooks the valley where she and her crew work.
As fire season gets underway in the West, crews like Seil’s are important in ensuring fire departments are ready to respond to dangerous fires. Although it is a difficult job, many firefighters — like Seil — say it is rewarding work that keeps them out and making a positive difference.
Wildland firefighting is a male-dominated career. The US Forest Service estimates that up to 87% of wildland firefighters are men. Seil’s crew is the result of a partnership between the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Western Colorado Conservation Corps, specifically designed to get more women into the fire service.
Lathan Johnson, assistant fire manager for the BLM and the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit, helps coordinate the female fire crew. He said the program has two benefits: federal agencies get important work done before the height of fire season, and their workforces start to look a little more like society at large.
“Whether it’s Wildfire, or something that we do here in the office, having that diversity in gender has, I think, always made a better team,” he said.
When the 10-month program is over, the women will be certified to fight wildfires for federal agencies. They have all the training they need.
Frances Brubaker helps Meghan Patrick close her backpack after helping her take out her cutting tools. The two have been crew members since February. (Caroline Llanes/Aspen Public Radio)
A typical work day starts with crew preparations: checking earplugs, donning gloves and gators, and adjusting chainsaw chains.
Crew member Ellie Zaher said when they’re not here, the women receive mentorship, help with their resumes and advice on seasonal jobs.
“They are all so supportive and they want more women in the fire,” she said. “And they are so happy that we have this program. And they show us all what to pack and what to expect.”
And what they can expect is a lot of hard work, not necessarily for high pay.
The minimum wage for federal firefighters is approximately $15 per hour. That’s what the team deserves.
These women work long hours carrying heavy loads, sometimes clearing their own paths along the way. They often camp near the workplace instead of sleeping in beds.
Eva Heller, another assistant shift leader, said the hard work is worth it.
“I feel like I’m really making a difference here and doing something meaningful, which is so great,” she said. “And that’s probably my favorite part of the job, other than working with all these great people.”
Program coordinators say about 80 percent of the women who have participated in the program in recent years will secure jobs for at least the next season.
Raechelle Seil uses a chainsaw to remove Gambel oak from a hillside. Last winter she was trained in how to use her tools. (Caroline Llanes/Aspen Public Radio)
Raechelle Seil said she feels like she has a lot of career options now.
“You can get into the science of fire, so you can go in after prescribed burns and see how you can restore those lands,” she said. ‘Or, for example, helitacks, hotshots and hand crews. These are all kind of first attacks.’
Seil said having the opportunity to learn the job in a welcoming environment is huge.
“Using all these bigger tools and all these machines and stuff like that, and not feeling judged and not feeling like you’re inferior,” she said. “It is very nice to actually feel supported and cared for.”
She said she will finish the season on a fire crew, and wherever she ends up, she plans to stay with natural resources.
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