Firefighter Kevin Brown had been on the front lines for 11 straight days, facing flames from a wildfire scorching Southern California.
His body was exhausted. His spirit was waning. Rejuvenation was desired, but it would have to wait. Brown and his fellow firefighters were called to battle another wildfire that had broken out in the Bay Area.
The team packed up their gear, hopped in the fire engine and made the hours-long drive north to the SCU Complex Fire burning in the hills outside San Jose.
As the engine pulled into a parking lot at the fire's base camp, Brown received a much-needed boost from a new furry friend on four legs: Micah, a golden retriever serving as a therapy dog.
"The moment we pull into the SCU base camp, Micah was waiting for us," Brown said.