Fighting fires for hours, days, and even weeks on end takes an enormous physical and mental toll.
Theodore Hiner of Sweet Home, Oregon, has been battling blazes in his home state since 1996. In a typical year, about 500,000 acres there are consumed by wildfires, but in 2020, that number ballooned to over 1 million in the first few weeks of the season.
Theodore is the crew boss of the Grizzly Firefighters. Recently, the 20-person team was battling the Lionshead Fire in a community near Detroit when Theodore learned that his own house was in its deadly path. Thankfully, his wife, children, and dogs were able to get out safely and his home was spared!
On day 10 of their selfless mission, his crew wrapped up a 14-hour shift and decided to do something special to boost their spirits. In a short video Theodore shared online, we see the exhausted heroes flop onto the ground and begin to sing!
Together, they raise their tired voices to the tune of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” and create the most impressive chorus they can muster. In place of the usual “peanuts and Cracker Jacks,” however, they use firefighting terminology.
Take me out to the fire
Take me out to the line
Bring me some sawyers and hazel hoes
I don’t care if I ever get home
Root, root, root for the red crew
You know we want the most days
For it’s 1, 2, 3 tool types out
At the old fire line
Sawyers are people who are trained to cut down trees and limbs during wildfires, while hazel hoes are tools used to dig trenches and clear fire lines.
What a great way to boost morale! We’re so grateful for their hard work and sacrifice as they put their lives on the line to save Oregon’s beautiful forests.
Watch the heroes sing together in the video below, and don’t forget to share this story to make someone smile.
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