Allegra’s path to firefighting began in 2018 when she got her first job with the Forest Service on a trail crew in Aspen, Colorado. That summer she got her first taste of firefighting helping out with the nearby Lake Christine Fire.

U.S. Forest Service employees with non-firefighting jobs that have firefighting training can be part of the fire militia. When fires break out, they can go on assignments. Allegra was interested and worked toward this certification, and in 2020, after becoming eligible, she was able to help fill in on a Bureau of Land Management engine out of Rifle, Colorado for a few months as a firefighter. This summer is her first full season on a wildland fire crew.

Allegra and the Colorado River Crew on assignment in Southern Utah 

From thru-hiking and trail crews to firefighting

Allegra has long been a thru-hiker and has spent a lot of time in the mountains, which prepared her for the challenges of wildland firefighting. She has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, the Arizona Trail and the Colorado Trail, and she has worked on trail crews and projects on the big three U.S. hiking trails: the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail.

“I knew how to dig and move dirt,” Allegra said about working on trail crews. “We would log out a lot of trails with chainsaws and cross-cut saws. The physical labor of trail crews prepped me really well for this job.”

But it’s not just physical – wildland firefighting can be emotionally and mentally taxing too.

“When you’re out on trails building structures, hiking out, going on hitches, it takes mental strength too. Sometimes you have to just put your head down and work and put the fire out until it’s out. The experience [from thru-hiking and trail crews] has been helpful,” Allegra said.

Thru-hiking isn’t all sunshine and roses either – it taught Allegra how to persevere when tired, hungry or sore. “It showed me you can do hard things… you can get over mental obstacles and keep moving forward.”

Left: Allegra thru-hiking the Colorado trail; Right: Allegra’s crew on assignment in Southern Utah

What life is like on a wildland fire crew

Allegra’s crew this summer has mostly been at home in Colorado to respond to local fires caused by things like lightning strikes. Depending on fire volume, crews get sent out all across the country for fire assignments.

Allegra enjoys the daily routine of the job. “You’re out there checking the vehicles every morning making sure everything is good in case you get called out for a fire,” she said. “I love that structure. We’re waiting, then it’s go time. It’s fun. This job keeps me on my toes.”

When they get called up on a fire, the majority of the work is digging line around the fire to make sure it won’t spread. Engine crews also support fire suppression with water hoses from the engines or hiking in with bladder bags. Sometimes aerial support is called in for fires – water or retardant drops from planes or helicopters – and the crew on the ground might cut vegetation to open up the area for the drops.

Once the fire is contained, the crew makes sure there’s no smoke and no heat, much the same as you’d make sure a campfire is fully out before leaving it.

Allegra’s go-to Ridge Merino gear for firefighting

Depending on where a fire assignment is, crews either drive, hike in from the closest road access or get flown in by helicopter. When they’re on a backcountry assignment, they’re usually out for 14 days at a time. They’re tent camping in remote areas, often with no access to bathrooms, showers or laundry.

“When I was on my 14-day assignment, I wore one Ridge t-shirt the whole time under my yellows. It didn’t smell. It got a little crusty because I was sweating all day where my line pack sits, but it was always breathable and comfortable.”

She appreciated how quickly it dried and that she could wear it day and night. “It kept me warm at night and it kept me cool during the day,” Allegra said.

Allegra in her PPE/"yellows" and a black Ridge Merino tee

She wears her Ritter Ski Socks on assignments since they come up above her boots, don’t get stiff and don’t smell when worn for days on end. She also loves Ridge’s boy shorts and sports bra (which works great as a swim top for paddle boarding on her days off) and the Hyde Hoodie for extra warmth when the nights start to cool down.

Firefighters wear “yellows” or "PPE" (personal protective equipment) — flame-resistant outer layers for protection. For shirts, underwear and socks worn under these uniforms, Merino wool is popular: not just because of its performance benefits, but because it’s flame-resistant and doesn’t melt like synthetic fabrics. And compared to cotton, rayon, nylon and polyester, wool ignites much less easily.

Being part of a crew

Allegra loves the team aspect of firefighting. When they’re not out on a fire assignment, her crew works out together doing gym workouts, hiking or playing volleyball. All of these activities build the team’s communication skills, which helps on assignments.

She recently went on a fire assignment with a crew of all women and non-binary people. This two-week assignment was part of a wildfire development program organized by the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit and Western Colorado Conservation Corps. The program’s goal is to train and place more women into wildland fire jobs.

The Colorado River Crew demobilizing in Grand Junction, Colorado after 17 days together

She enjoyed getting to be on a crew of all women and non-binary people. She was able to work on her task book during this assignment too: getting hands-on training to help her move up in the firefighting world. There are women on all of the engines at Allegra’s station, and more women are entering the field all the time, she said.

Many firefighters work seasonally in the summer only, while others stay on year-round to work on fuels projects. Allegra has loved working in fire and plans to stay in Rifle working on the engine she’s currently on.

“Chase that excitement,” Allegra said. This mindset has guided her well, so she happily shares it. “We get bogged down about ‘I need this kind of job to feel secure,’ but it’s all going to work out. If you follow what you love, the right thing is going to happen.”

Photo of Allegra (on the left) by the U.S. Forest Service - PSICC National Forest