TESTIMONIES
by Captain Mike Norris
Riverside County Fire Department
"When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
nor shall the flames scorch you."
- Isaiah 43:2 -
I knew that the 1994 fire season was going to present some unique challenges and some surprises; they all do! Little did I know that the challenges would be life-threatening, and that the surprises would end up being lifesaving. I always attempt to lead my crew by example in hopes that I can leave a legacy; not only of my professional life, but also in hopes that I can personally influence their lives in a positive way.
Starting in June, I worked everyday with the same firefighter, whose name is Katherine. She was a nice person, was easy to get along with, and was interested in doing a good job. From the beginning we had so many fire assignments, that much of her training was on the job training.
In June, the "Bailey Fire" in Anza started and spread rapidly into what eventually became a 7000 acre fire. On Tuesday, we were noticing some radical fire behavior approximately one-half mile away from us. Still we felt fairly safe as the wind was at our backs, and because of the distance between us and the fire.
As we started a backfire, suddenly the winds shifted 180 degrees and were now coming directly at us. Spot fires were occurring over the containment line. Just as we pulled our protection lines the winds became very strong and started to howl. In seconds, my helmet was ripped off my head, and I was being blown down. Kevin (another captain) began shouting "Firestorm! Firestorm!" I was being pelted with rocks, sticks, dirt and embers. It seemed as if all hell was breaking loose!
I yelled again and again at Katherine to get in the cab, only to realize I could not hear myself yelling. A thousand thoughts were racing through my mind, but the main one was to get her off the back of the engine and into the front cab where it was safe. Katherine threw back the fire blanket canister of the engine and deployed it so she could hide underneath it. What a relief! My attempts to get to the rear of the engine were futile, so i made my way back into the cab. I felt fairly safe, but was very burdened about Katherine and her situation. The weight of responsibility for her was really bearing down on me. I was praying that she would not be hurt and God forbid, dying on the back of the engine. I was also praying that she would not run, because we would both be dead if I had to go after her. I chose to back up and reposition the back of the engine out of the direct path of the 100+ mph winds.
After about 1 minute the storm calmed down and things began to clear. Driving out was very slow. Katherine looked pale and complained about being sick. She was transported to the hospital shortly thereafter, and was released that evening.
The next couple of months Katherine and I talked about the experience often. One afternoon I found her reading her Bible on the bed in the dorm. I was hoping that she was getting some comfort and guidance from the love and wisdom it contained.
On another night I found Katherine in the dorm sitting on her bed, crying. She smiled at me, got up and went into the office. I went to inquire what was wrong. It was the fire, specifically the thought of almost dying. I inquired as to her beliefs in life after death and whether or not she would go to heaven if she did die. I also asked her if she was getting any comfort from reading the Bible. She wasn't sure. I found out that she did not really understand what she was reading because she did not personally know the author. I explained to her the difference between "head knowledge" and "heart knowledge." She was in fact holding God at arm's length, and not totally embracing Christ as she should. The conversation soon ended.
Later I reiterated the fact that she trusted me (based on the outcome of the firestorm, and several other hot situations we had been in) with her life. I therefore asked her to trust me one more time with the most important aspect of her life, her eternal salvation. I shared with her many scriptures that night, showing how Christ cared and died for her. She finally told me that it all sounded good but she did not know how to personally accept Christ. I did! I had the privilege of praying with her right then to receive the Lord into her heart!
Katherine is now growing daily in the love and knowledge of Jesus Christ. She is being discipled and taught the importance of daily interaction with the Savior, and is being grounded in the doctrine of Christianity.
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