To say that a hotshot crew works long hours is a bit of an understatement. On July 24, 2023, we followed around the Redding Hotshots for a day. Within a 24-hour period they responded to the Wonder Fire near Shasta Lake, reduced hazardous fuels in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, and maintained their gear.
That’s the job, it can be physically and mentally taxing, but for members of the Redding Hotshots there’s more than a few reasons they do what they do: camaraderie, a love for the outdoors, a predisposition to adventure, but there’s one reason common between them all, to the protect communities in which they to love and live.
