Ella, always one for adventure, had had enough of the city. She thought a retreat somewhere remote would do the trick. So she planned it out, she planned her route. She went so far as to carve her own canoe; being nostalgic and one for nature.

After a month of prep-work, she was ready to embark down the river to a small island off the coast. She checked the maps and could not find a single dwelling on the land. Perfect! She felt her excitement grow with how bold and badass she felt.

That warm spring morning called out to her with promise. She joyfully sprung to the occasion, despite all the planning, she wanted to wait for the perfect timing and weather conditions for her adventure. Today was it. She packed her essentials, and headed for the shore.

The ride was smooth and peaceful. An eagle swooped by. She felt one with nature again; a deep sigh of relief escaped her lungs. She was proud she had made the right decision to escape for a while.

She landed on her chosen island. Not a person or animal in sight. The birds were around, singing their tune and keeping her company as she chose her favourite scenic spot to set up a shelter and build a fire. Once that was complete, exhausted she was, she took her fishing rod to a large flat rock where the surrounding waters were deep.

An hour or so later, she returned having caught her limit of three fish. As she approached her site, she was startled to find that her fire had crept outside the stone boundary and was now burning the forest floor.

She plopped down the fish and grabbed her waterproof bag. Filling it from the river and pouring it around her site to extinguish what she could was taking far too long as the wind had picked up and the trees were dead and dry enough that the fire was getting out of her control.

She panicked and rushed. She tripped over a root and skinned her leg on a sharp branch. Despite the pain and blood, she pressed on with her task. There was no time to travel back, as the sun had already set, and she feared getting lost in the darkness.

The smoke was thick, and she felt guilt for having left the fire unattended. This was her doing. She wanted to make it right.

She worked well into the night, until fatigue set in. She stumbled back to her shelter (thankfully intact), wrapped her face in a scarf, and tried to get some sleep before dawn.

Morning came, she awoke to the feeling of dew on her skin. She got up and started packing.

Once arrived at her landing site, she discovered that her canoe had been partially devoured by the fire, and defeated, she slumped to the ground and cried.

No way home, no one to help. She was stuck.

She returned to her site and started another fire to cook her fish. With regained energy, she came up with another plan. Build a raft, cross the river. Hike the rest of the way. It would take days, but it would get her home.

Hours later, she heard a whirring sound in the distance. She thought she must be hearing things and returned to her building. The sound grew in amplitude. She paused and looked up.

There in the distance, was her answer. A helicopter with CAL Fire written on the side.

She leaped to her feet to be seen by the crew in the helicopter. It hovered over the water, and a woman climbed out with a chainsaw on her shoulder. She waded through the water and approached Ella, who was terrified of the repercussions of having started the fire in the first place, but also relieved to have another human here to help.

Ella was saved from the consequences of her actions, by a radiant woman probie Gabriela, and a kind Fire Chief named Vince, who decided to call the fire’s ignition a re-light from the season before. Ella was relieved, and the crew helped her get back home safely after they all worked together to extinguish the fire. Ella was so grateful for their generosity, it was the least she could do to help them finish the task.

Ella returned home exhausted and exhilarated at the events of her trip. Thus began her inspiration to become a California fire fighter.