Daniel Boone National Forest — In yellow, soot-stained, Nomez Wildland Fire Shirts, green flame-resistant pants and hardhats that have seen better days, about 25 U.S. Forest Service firefighters gather for a morning briefing.
It’s roughly 10 a.m. and the group stands about 50 feet from a small cemetery, two freshly overturned mounds of dirt garnished by a cluster of artificial flowers — blue, white, pink. The small burial ground is the only open space clear of trees and brush for miles, save the roads that zigzag through this stretch of the Daniel Boone National Forest in southeast Kentucky.
During the briefing, the burn plan for the day is laid out by the fire boss, safety protocol is discussed and radio frequencies are established.
As the meeting breaks, the chwoosh, chwoosh, chwoosh of helicopter blades cutting through the sky sounds overhead as a Forest Service chopper recons the area the crews will work in to make sure no civilians are present.