A Frontline Female Fire Fighter, Eleonore Jordan Anderson.

                                 A FRONTLINE FEMALE FIREFIGHTER

There is a fascinating story in  USA TODAY September 24, 2020 (published in partnership with The 19th) written by Ko Bragg. It's about a woman named Eleonore Jordan Anderson. Eleonore is no ordinary woman. In fact, she is one of the few frontline female firefighters in the United States of America.

"It's been a record setting fire season," Elenore said in the interview and went on to explain that COVID-19  cancelled the seasonal work she used to do. She was, however, hired as a qualified sawyer on her engine crew. A sawyer clears paths for other firefighters and also "takes down hazardous and dead trees."

Five years ago Elenore fought her first fire. Since then she has been involved in 25 fires, four of them in this year. They include the Lionshead Fire that started through a lightening strike "burned more than 203,000 acres in Oregon and destroyed more than 200 homes."

But there were less than two dozen women fighting the Lionshead Fire - something that concerns Elenore - the " lack of gender diversity" in fire fighting.

"This record setting fire season is like none other," she said "A million acres have burned in Oregon alone, and wildfires in California have razed the near equivalent of Connecticut."

Elenore loves the work she does. but she is very concerned about "the nation's reluctance to react to climate change". Climate change is definitely real, she said. The fires have been getting more violent, more aggressive, we need better forest management.

When she is not working she enjoys spending time outdoors. Eleonore has an encouraging  word to all of us at this time. She says: "just take care of each other."

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