Let me first explain myself. I am not a brave person by nature. I once spent three hours in my little sister's playhouse hiding from a bee. Turns out it was just a small speck of ash on the wind from a neighbor's charcoal grill. Keep this in mind.

It was a day much like any other. The sun shown brightly, bathing the forest in a warm glow. It broke through the canopy's small gaps like a cascading river of light, pooling in the mossy forest floor. As it happens, a careless but presumably well meaning individual left their campfire to relieve themselves, and the flames went walkabout. If this happened near a campground, the fire would have been addressed quickly.

I discovered it on my morning hike to check the back trails. Smoke on the horizon. I was several miles from the nearest ranger, and I flat out ran the other way in terror. My voice was hoarse from screaming. It was only when I remembered my wand on my back pocket that I summoned the courage to summon some courage.

What did I do then? I beat that fire out with my pants.