Thanks to Chris Simpson for refreshing my memory.

In 1984 I was a 17 year old Junior firefighter in Aledo, Texas. Now in the '80's we still went in as juniors. Things have changed and today Aledo has Paid guys from 7am- 7pm and vollies fill out the service. But back in the day, it was all volunteer and not that many of us in a small town of about 800.

So on a winter day in early 84 I was a teachers aid in the Kindergarten building. Out of the cold a teacher came in yelling that the "so and so's" house was on fire next to the K-5 bldg. Of course in a small town everyone knew who were firefighters and yes that included those of us who were juniors. So I excused myself and ran a half block to the fire.

Size-up was pretty easy, even for a junior. Victorian era, 2 story balloon venting fire from the A side window on the North corner. NO apparatus on scene so I took the water hose from the front yard and put a whole 4gpm on a fire that was gas fed and felt pretty heroic until my letter jacket started smoking, that and the hose melting thru pretty much did me in until the engine arrived with 1 Firefighter.

Our 750gpm pumper showed up and one of our senior guys threw me a coat boots and a helmet. No SCBA, no hood, no pants...(we didnt have those any more then we rode in enclosed cabs).

I think it took me all of 30 seconds to get bunked out and grab an inch and a half and start putting water on the fire. I thought we were doing great, it wasnt venting as much out the front window and we made entry. Me, the county fire marshall, and another junior, (who quickly abandoned me on the line alone). I stayed put while the FM did a quick search of the area of the first floor un-involved in fire.

When I went to advance the line it was a lot heavier then when I made entry and it took about 2 seconds to notice I was alone, about that time the FM came back we got out fast as things were going bad in a hurry. My thought that things were getting better was flawed. it had vented into the second floor and that was the cause of less fire showing up front.

By the time we got out the room was inverting and I couldnt get a breath..."you dont need that" kept going thru my now clouded head. WTF was he thinking!

In short we lost the house, and to be fair, it was lost when we got there...space heater had torched the back half of the first floor and as all baloon frames go, it was in the attic before we ever arrived. The safety end of things...well.

Why write all this...well, I thought it might help someone down the line to do wahts right, not that the senior guy dumbs you down with.

That fire marshal died of cancer at 50, his brother was my captain on my first Rescue Assignment. Use your heads and wear ALL your gear!