22 December 2020 – by James Sedlak
‘I remember turning around to see the red glow creep upwards behind the silhouette of the tree line. At two o’clock in the morning, our surroundings began to light up like an orange-tinted movie-set. Amidst an increasingly loud roar, I heard a familiar voice yelling at us to load-up in the buggies; “C’mon boys, double-time!” shouted my captain. The fire was chugging towards us, up slope from the drainage below, and it was time to get out.’
James Sedlak is a wildland firefighter based in Lake Tahoe, California. As a first-responder on the frontlines, he has seen the devastation of megafires and feels compelled to help solve problems associated with climate change. He joins EarthRefuge to help procure content surrounding climate change and migration in an effort to raise awareness and bring diverse perspectives to the forefront.
Outside of work you can find him backcountry snowboarding, building out vans, or trail running.
