Rookie Firemen Train For Intense Season

Kelsey Larsen had barely shed her cap and gown after graduating from Colville High School two weeks ago before exchanging them for green Nomex pants, a yellow fireproof shirt, and a hard hat. Larsen, 18, will get used to her new garb over the next three months as a wildland firefighter. She is one of 50 new firefighters hired by state and federal agencies to battle blazes in forests and public lands this summer in Washington. She and the other rookies spent this week training at the Chewelah Peak Learning Center in the Colville National Forest. Most of the new firefighters are college students interested in fire science or forestry. It’s rigorous, treacherous work, and pay for a seasonal firefighter is decent: $6,000 to $10,000 for three months of work/ Sara Leaming , SR. More here .

Question: What was your toughest summer job?