Photos and story by Rob Meszaros

In the parched backcountry just south of Frazier Park, nearly two dozen students wielding shovels and pick axes, dressed in U.S. Forest Service green and yellow uniforms, gathered for their big day.

Dust rose around the crew members as they traversed the hillside brush using their hand tools to cut fireline breaks to contain a simulated fire.

Sweat poured from beneath their hard hats and safety glasses. An echo rolled throughout the training grounds, as the warning call: “Swinging” rang out from members of the team, an alert to stay clear as each student hacked…

———————————-

Photo captions:

Riley Daniels, Alex Kern and Copp Collins in field training

Steven Russell and David Smith in a final exercise

FMHS Fire Science students practice cutting line.

Riley Daniels, Nolin Bentley and Zach Tyler making fuel break

———————————-

To see full stories with photos, please go to The Mountain Enterprise e-Edition

(login required)

Have your newspaper delivered via mail and include internet access! Just call 661-245-3794.

Or step out and get it right now! This story and others are available right now at newsstands throughout the Mountain Communities in The Mountain Enterprise.

This is part of the May 9, 2014 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you.