Where there's smoke, there's firefighters

We do more than honor our military; we revere them.

Police and firefighters occupy well-earned real estate atop the pedestal of public appreciation.

Members of these esteemed fraternities are among us every day, visible by their uniforms, ball caps and telltales on the backs of their cars and trucks. We recognize them as neighbors, members of our church congregations and service clubs, even as patrons of the same restaurants we favor.

But there’s another group that operates primarily outside our daily periphery. Some of that is because many in this tribe don’t live here. But when conditions are right — meaning, gone horribly wrong — they materialize as if by magic. And the more successful they are, the less we notice them.

We’re talking, of course, about the men and women who put their lives on the line in defense of our property, protecting our families and the communities we hold dear. They are the legions of state and federal fire service personnel who, with help from other agencies including local law enforcement and fire departments, comprise the last line of defense against blazes like the Parkway and Ridge Creek fires now wreaking havoc around Post Falls and Hayden.

Federal government agencies that respond to wildfires include the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service and the Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs. In May, Idaho signed a new interagency cooperative agreement that combines state agencies with federal assets to make up the strongest and best-coordinated firefighting team yet.

But it all eventually comes down to flesh and blood — men and women working long shifts under horrifically dangerous conditions on the ground. It is to these people in particular that we express our profound gratitude.

If you ever find yourself in a position to express your thanks, be it by donating food or water to urging your congressional representatives to do their utmost to support these dedicated public servants, please do so without hesitation.

Any list of American heroes would be incomplete without these courageous professionals on it.