"When a wildfire explodes out of control and threatens property and lives, thousands of firefighters and support crews rush to the scene from around the country and even the world.

Almost overnight a small city sprouts up, with firefighters camped in dense rows of tents in fields and eating in crowded mess halls. There are the caterers, the contractors, the crew bosses huddled around laptops at the command post.

Fire camps are akin to cruise ships on land, says Melissa Baumann, who heads the union representing U.S. Forest Service employees."

Kirk Siegler reports for NPR May 6, 2020. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"How Do You Fight Wildfires While Social Distancing? Nobody's Sure" (Montana Public Radio) [3]

"B.C. Wildfire Season Faces New Challenge In COVID-19 Pandemic" (HuffPost) [4]