Volunteer Firefighters After the Blaze

It was a long night for many firefighters across the big country.

"It's been one of our biggest fires in the past couple of years," says Kevin Burkes, a volunteer firefighter.

The fire broke out about 12:45 PM yesterday afternoon, and it was Kevin Burke's truck from the Hawley Fire Department that arrived to the scene first, but as a volunteer firefighter, he does not see himself as a hero.

"I got on the fire department to help my community, and I don't see myself as a hero," says Burkes, "just an everyday working person helping the community."

With old equipment dating back to the 1970's, it becomes a challenge for many volunteer firefighters like Burkes, to do their job.

"Keeping the trucks up and running is an everyday task," says Burkes.

"From the time I was out there, I was just working on our truck," says Blake Burkes, "we had to change a flat out, that took some work because the roads are kind of at an angle and on a ditch, it was really hard doing that."

Despite getting a flat tire on one of their trucks, Burkes and his son Black, helped contain the flames along wih other Hawley Firefighters. With the Burkes, fires are pretty much a family affair.

"My dad, my uncle, and my grandpa were all firefighters," says Blake, "my dad and uncle were all firefighters here, I just pretty much grew up into it, and started liking it from the get go."

The volunteers fought the blaze until about midnight, while many firefighters returned to their regular jobs this morning, Blake had a test at school.

"I even made a hundred on a test today," says Blake, "that was pretty important."

It's an "A+" in school and firefighting for this seventeen year old, Blake encourages more young people to volunteer with their local fire department. Right now, he is a junior firefighter.