Previously on Fire Country...
Have you heard of FireEducated communities?
Hey!
You're the Edwards kid
that chose the badge over the ranch.
This life that I'm building,
I want it with you.
I'm not ready for that.
I have to figure myself out first.
Promise me that you're taking care of yourself, Gabriela.
If you were to ask
my family, my dad had his heat stroke
picking up my slack on the ranch that day.
It's weird now,
living in the same town, and we're not speaking.
I meant what I said.
We can't end like this.
I want our family back.
I'm just not ready yet.
Look at us, two inmates
turned graduates.
Look at you. What?
It's a nice dress.
Can you believe that we were
just here at this bar, and I said, "I love you"?
We had good times, though.
♪ I know he hurts you bad, but you won't come clean... ♪
Come on.
♪ They say time heals all ♪
♪ But the pain runs way too deep... ♪
Come on, you got to be kidding me. Come on.
♪ Lied to yourself so much ♪
Come on!
♪ That you started to believe... ♪
A kick to the keypad used to do the trick for me.
But I'm guessing that wasn't really just over a cup of soup.
♪ Start a fire, throw the memories... ♪
Heard you requested a parole hearing.
That's great.
It's not a done deal.
♪ New horizons, let it burn... ♪
Don't you have some place you got to be?
Like your first official day at 42.
Wanted to stop here first.
I owe you a big thank-you.
♪ See the gold in the red, new horizons... ♪
Hey.
♪ Let it burn, let it burn... ♪
You want to thank me?
Bury your old self.
And don't look back.
'Cause I don't ever want to see you back in orange.
Copy?
I copy.
Hey.
Hey. Uh...
So, about the other night...
We were a safe space on a bad day.
Yeah, yeah, a truly, truly awful day.
That can't happen again.
I think everybody makes mistakes.
Yes, we did, and we are so much better as friends.
Uh... Obviously, we have to tell Bode.
I'm not in the habit of telling an ex
that I slept with someone else.
Bode's a brother to me.
That's betweenyou two.
Yes, but you two are...
We were. I am single, and I washed down a bad day with sex.
Okay, hooking up with my best friend's ex
is something I don't want to be doing.
No, no, no, no. Do not put an ounce of shame
onto two friends that made a human mistake.
What, a mistake?
No, a mistake i-is sleeping with a stranger,
but this-this-this is different.
Are you forgetting that before I was with Bode, I was with you?
Oh, I'm not forgetting anything.
I lost Cara, then I lost Gen,
and that other night
is how I know I lost myself for a minute.
Sleeping with me is how you know you lost yourself?
Gabs, it's not about you.
Look, I slept on my integrity when we chose to do
what we did in my truck.
I...
I'm just... trying to own it.
Do what you need to do. I'm good.
Hey.
Neighbor.
Uh-oh.
I hope you keep a tidy locker.
Uh, take a guess.
Oh, is that your personal teddy, or...
Guys bring them on calls.
Something you can give to kids if they're scared.
It's a good move.
Got a picture of your mom in there, too?
It's of my whole family.
It's not for my locker.
It's a 42 tradition.
Put a picture of your loved ones inside your helmet.
A reminder of who you're coming home to.
I'm not putting a picture of my cat in my helmet.
Give it time.
This place has a way of giving you new family.
Looking forward to it.
Today is a fresh start.
As far as I'm concerned, my past is dead and buried.
I'll join you there.
RIP to the old Audrey James.
Well,
how about we start fresh with a win?
Let's do it.
Yeah, I see it. We're on it.
We got to get units to Cooper's Ridge, like, pronto.
Cooper's Ridge again?
Mm-hmm. That's our new fun reality.
Year-round fire season.
Yeah, but is there even fuel left up there to burn?
Who knows? But it's spreading fast, and it looks like
it might make it to Chezem if we don't get on it.
Oh, Eve's family's ranch is in Chezem.
Yeah. And Elroy Edwards,
not real big on vegetation management.
Been trying to get a fire break in there for years.
You think she could sell him on it?
I don't know.
Only one way to find out.
No.
Sorry, that...
that made that more dramatic than it needed to be.
I just...
Breaking six years of cold shouldering with...
"Hey, Dad, can I set your land on fire?"
I just don't think that's gonna go well.
Except it kind of has to.
This burn's been put off for way too long.
You talking about the Edwards Ranch?
Yeah. We all know how much your family ranch means to you.
Meant to me until my family shut me out.
I think it's time to pull them back in.
Your father loves and misses you.
I know this.
Eve.
Chezem Valley
really needs this backburn.
Okay? It's a choking point with lots of fuel.
If the wildfire makes it there, it's...
All of Edgewater's in deep trouble.
Okay. All right. Okay.
How do I begin to reason with a stubborn old man?
VINCE [sighs]: Yeah.
Right. Stubborn old man. Um...
Start small. Maybe get Three Rock
to cut some line before you even mention a backburn.
Maybe Cap will let me
come with you, try and convince him.
I mean, your dad always liked me
when he was coaching little league.
Okay, thanks. I... Look, I-I think I have to do this alone.
Okay, I'll take Three Rock with me,
and then I'll radio you guys when I'm ready for the burn.
Yes. Yeah.
All right. Thank you.
Did you smell your milk today, probies?
Every day you put on that uniform,
your head has to be on a swivel,
every one of your senses active,
from the moment you pour... You pour your milk
on your cereal.
I'm a black coffee kind of a girl.
This isn't training.
You have to look after you now.
Pay attention to every detail.
Smell your milk. Got it?
Let's go get that win.
Good thing we smelled some milk.
Hey, what are we looking at?
Last year, it took us, what, something like a week
to get the Cooper's Ridge Fire under control.
Six days, start to finish.
Vegetation hasn't grown back.
Yeah. There shouldn't even be
any fuel for these spot fires.
Does the smoke look white to you? Mm-hmm.
Little pockets all across the ridge.
You thinking what I'm thinking?
Zombie fires.
Also known as holdover fires. They can smolder
underneath the ground for months at a time.
Or even years.
You think they're dead, but they keep coming back to life.
They're caused by excess peat in the soil.
There's peat all over Cooper's Ridge.
That's what caused this wildfire to spread.
So how do we kill 'em?
Well, you tell me, probie.
You're no longer in training.
Uh, we pray the zombie fires stay up on that ridge?
And we have a plan if they don't.
Since we never know when a zombie fire's gonna resurface,
we get everybody out of there.
Okay, I'm pairing people up. Jake, Gabriela,
you're gonna go start a mandatory evacuation
- on Ridgeway community. - Copy that, Chief.
Is that my PASS device?
It's not mine.
There's no way I haven't moved in the last 30 seconds.
Yeah, it sneaks up on you.
That PASS device could save your lives
one day, probies.
It's the best tool we have to find a downed firefighter.
I want you two
to go prep the structures on Alta Cañada.
Remove the debris.
Wet the perimeter, bring a saw up there with you.
Copy that, Chief.
- Hey, Cap. - What's up, big dawg?
Don't worry.
Deep down, he's gonna be happy to see you.
Yeah, you don't know my dad.
You're right. I don't, but I do know that I would
give anything to be in his shoes right now.
To have my daughter want to come find me.
Hmm?
Three Rock.
This ranch is, uh, dear to my heart.
So we're gonna respect it, do everything by the book.
Manny, you're gonna
oversee the guys while I go talk to my dad.
- On it. - This is Chezem Knoll,
south-facing. We're gonna do a four-foot scrape.
We're gonna cut a break in there and make sure
that's there's no more fire coming through the valley.
All right?
Gentlemen, let's show these ranchers
who we really are out there.
Hey, Daddy.
I know it's been a while.
First visit in six years,
you come in uniform.
Rolling up here in that
convict wagon, too.
It's a crew carrier.
- I'm the captain at Three Rock. - Oh, I know.
Saw your interview with that reporter a few months back.
Your... fire... whatever-it-is program.
Even got Elijah talking about it.
It's called FireEducated.
Daddy, I'm really proud of it, so...
Throwing your weight around.
Telling people what they can
and can't do with their own properties.
We're here to help.
There are some wildfires up at Cooper Ridge.
They're headed this way.
I came here to protect our ranch.
You forfeited your right to call it "ours."
Hey, where do you need me, Elroy?
Hi, George.
Keep an eye on them convicts for me.
Daddy, do not call them convicts.
Why not? They've committed crimes.
They were accused of crimes,
sometimes not always rightly.
They're in orange.
Shoe fits.
Won't let them out of my sight.
Okay.
Where do you think you going?
Incoming!
Yo. Who is this beauty here?
Hey, I apologize if we overstepped.
I'm Manny Perez.
You must be one of Eve's brothers.
Her cousin, and I'm not here to answer questions.
I'm here to make sure none of you step out of line.
Well, today's your lucky day, 'cause that's not how we roll.
We do everything on the up-and-up, all right?
And don't you worry. We already got our babysitter with us.
Ain't that right, Manny?
Always do.
Well, this is my babysitter.
All right, boys.
Back at it.
Come on. Come on.
How many houses are we evacuating? Ballpark.
About 60 or so.
Well, let's just hope that they're cooperative.
Rig's low on water from the spot fires
coming up the mountain.
So let's find a hydrant.
Mm. Over there.
Can you believe this?
What's wrong with people?
Oh, it's your first time, huh?
Well, you get the honors.
We really doing this?
You don't respect the law,
we don't respect your ride.
Go ahead.
Good. Get the passenger side and we'll get you the hose.
All right, let's get to work.
Mom drove down to Stockton yesterday
to make some thoroughbred trades.
Yeah? How's she doing?
She's getting old.
Like we all are.
She had some gallstones removed recently.
Those were painful.
Why didn't anybody tell me?
I-I would've... What?
Helped?
Yeah, Daddy, I...
Y'all were the ones that ignored me,
for doing a job that little kids dream about.
I don't even... No. You chose
that Leone family over your own.
That's why we ignored you.
Come on. Let me show you something.
We didn't expect her labor to come on so quick.
Daddy, is that Lucky?
Oh, hey, pretty girl.
I was there when she was born.
Oh, how you doing?
You know, when the boys
wouldn't play with me, Lucky would.
She's a hard worker, every cattle run.
Reliable.
She's a good girl.
Unlike me?
Well, she stuck around.
It's time.
Okay.
You gonna do this?
I helped bring her into this world.
I'm gonna help her now.
VINCE [over radio]: Eve, what's the status on that backburn?
Don't worry.
Eve, you copy?
- You need to get that? - No.
This is more important.
Come on, breathe, girl. You got this.
Come on.
Eve, come in.
Hi, there.
Are you two assigned here?
Yeah.
I'm Bode, this is Audrey.
Hey, I'm Brian.
I'm really hoping you can save my house.
I-I'm prepared, I got, uh,
I got spigots and I got pipes with extra water pressure.
I've even got some industrial hoses
that the fire department gave me years back.
You're well-prepared.
Yeah, the, um, fire chief said
she's safe for now.
We, um, we called her the Nancy Sue, after my mom.
It's a beautiful house, Brian.
My wife Penny designed her.
She, uh, picked that spot there for the porch,
so that we could grow old together watching the sunsets.
But five years ago, she, uh...
...she got cancer and she died.
I'm so sorry.
Felt like I died, too.
If this house burns, you might as well let me burn with it.
I don't have it in me to start over again.
We'll keep your house safe. I promise.
Thank you.
You're a sucker for a sob story.
Are we really supposed to make promises like that?
Let's just start clearing this brush.
Eve, I need status on that backburn.
Eve, you copy?
Eve, what is your status?
She's not answering?
No. And I don't like it.
Okay, I'll handle things here.
You go. You get us that backburn.
It could save all of Chezem Valley.
You did good, Lucky.
James.
There's some white smoke here.
I'm gonna call it in.
Cooper IC, firefighter 1591.
Be advised we're clearing chaparral.
Appearing in the... in the ground
there's some strange... strange smoke
just burst out of it.
Like a charcoal briquette smoldering under the ground?
Bright white in color?
Dissipates slowly?
Yeah, all that.
Zombie fires.
They're here now.
Here are the hoses.
Thanks. That's great.
We need you to evacuate.
The fires starting to get closer now, so it's mandatory.
No, no. The house.
How can I help you protect her if I... if I have to leave?
Look, if you, uh, refuse to leave,
and we get the sheriff's office down here
to take you away in cuffs,
they're gonna be real grumpy about that.
Tell me this isn't the last time I see
the only thing I have left of my wife.
You promised me.
My word means something to me.
I'll do everything in my power.
Now why would you double down on that?
What about you?
Sheriff's office's gonna
take you away in cuffs?
How'd you come up with that?
Got him to evacuate.
Yeah, so did I.
Look at us.
Day one, and we're already justifying the means to an end.
It will be better tomorrow.
We're bringing home this win.
For Brian and for us.
Let's get this whole yard hosed down.
Yo, do you mind
pulling your horse back?
He's breathing down my neck.
I do mind.
Yo, enough. I need room to work.
That what you call this? Work?
Digging ditches people don't want?
Yeah, that's better than getting
some R&R on the back of a horse.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, Cole. That's enough.
You have too much on the line here.
Forget this guy.
He'll never see us as people.
People?
You?
Killers and thieves?
You want to know about people?
My little brother.
Shot by a criminal just like you.
Robbed and left for dead on the streets of Oakland.
You want to talk to me about people?
Uh...
Eve... she told us about her cousin.
Yeah?
I bet Eve tells you a lot.
Airs out all our family business.
Actually, no.
Eve loves her family.
I'm sorry about what happened to your brother, man.
But the work that we're doing here,
we're giving back to the communities that we took from.
It's atonement.
Let us do that.
- Come on. You all right? - Yeah.
JAKE [over bullhorn]: This is an order to evacuate.
The area is lawfully closed to public access.
There is a potential threat to life and property.
Keep moving.
Ma'am, you need to leave this area now.
Okay? Head to Edgewater
Community Center, they have a shelter there.
I-I know, I know, but our car ran out of gas.
We can't move.
Okay, well, then, ma'am, you need to leave
your vehicle and find a ride to safety.
Hey, Jake.
That family can't leave their car.
I think they might live out of it.
Okay, well, what do you want me to do, Gabs?
Call a tow truck?
We got to get these people out of here.
Look, I'm gonna head towards Jefferson.
You go and do a sweep around Ensler Court.
On it, Cap.
Please.
Our whole life's in here.
My daughter's already lost a home.
Kneeland Fire, few years back.
I'm gonna find you some gas.
Elroy.
Good to see you.
See you brought the hose-humping cavalry, Vince.
Actually, I came because
Eve wasn't answering her radio.
Yeah, that was my bad, Chief.
My dad and I were delivering a foal
and I had to remove my radio.
Don't apologize.
Yeah. Look,
I know you're not my biggest fan,
but this fire,
got nothing to do with me.
And it's coming.
A backburn on some of your grazing land
would prevent some significant loss.
Winds are high.
Things are probably gonna shift pretty quick.
You know what hasn't shifted in over a decade?
The Leones involving themselves in my family.
And when is that gonna finally shift?
Think he's ever gonna come to his senses?
Nobody tells that man to cut a blade of grass on his property.
And I get it.
I know a mirror when I see one.
JAKE [over radio]: Firefighter Perez.
Concluded evac on Jefferson.
What's your status?
Engine 1568, firefighter 1568.
Still working on evac for civilians on Ensler.
Come on, let's hit the other side.
Got it.
Leone, James, we have new fires coming in from the east.
You don't have that much time.
Please, just let-let us use
whatever time we have left to save this house.
We've almost got it under control.
Bode, I trust you.
If you think you can do it, then you can stay.
But if this goes even an inch sideways,
I'm pulling both of you.
Copy that.
We can do it.
Uh, Bode...
You sure about that?
Nice work, gentlemen.
We got your back, Cap.
Elroy, I...
I really don't want to do this, but...
we got to start this backburn.
It's funny how you think it's your decision suddenly?
When you're on my property.
Your property is butted up against wildland.
It is uniquely positioned between that fire
and the east side of Edgewater.
Oh, let me be clear.
You do not have my permission.
With respect...
...because of the FireEducated program, I...
I don't need your permission.
You and your program are gonna stand there and...
let this man do this?
You look me in the eye,
tell me that six years later,
my daughter only came back here
to rip my heart out all over again.
Daddy.
It's the right thing to do.
1508 requesting additional resources.
Thank you, Three Rock!
42'll handle the backburn from here.
You or me.
Great work, Three Rock.
Hey, good work, homie.
- Yo, Perez. - What's up?
I owe you some gratitude, brother.
Some gratitude? For what?
For cutting line faster than you?
You better learn to keep up, homie.
Water up, boy. Hey.
Oh, you know what?
Double or nothing next time, okay?
All right. I'll take you up on that.
No. No, with John Wayne back there. Yeah.
What he did wasn't right. But me getting on him?
Yeah. That could've ruined me.
Yeah, but you kept it all together. It's good.
Yeah, it's 'cause of you.
Thank you, brother.
Man, I can't tell you how many times in my life
I've needed someone there to save me.
- I'll tell ya. - Yeah, yeah. Well, it gave me clarity.
I don't want to have to tell my kids
Dad's not coming home 'cause he made
another dumb mistake.
Yeah.
Yo. Yo, Manny, I didn't mean anything by it--
it-it wasn't a shot at you.
I know, man.
It's the truth.
Don't ever lose sight of that.
Yeah, hit it. Hit it.
- I got that one. I got it. - Good, well, suddenly, I'm happy
you made a promise you shouldn't have.
Talk about a come-from-behind win.
Time's up, probies.
I'm pulling you.
Meet at Jack Pine Road base camp.
Bode, flare-up!
I see it!
Tree. Watch out!
Snag! Snag.
Bode, this is out of control.
Probies, repeat: time's up. I'm pulling you.
James? Leone? Do you copy?
Jack Pine Road.
Bode!
Bode, I'm pretty sure that's an order.
- If you want to go, go. -Bode!
- Come in, now. - But I-I know we can save it.
What happened to burying the old us?
- This is me doing that. - How?
By ignoring orders? Putting yourself at risk?
Seems like all that talk
about our fresh start was just that. Talk.
I made a promise. You didn't.
You should go.
What, you think I'm gonna leave you here alone?
Not happening.
Perez.
Is there something you want to share with me?
'Cause the owner of the smashed-out sedan
just ripped me a new one.
Did you tell him
he shouldn't park in front of a hydrant?
No, I couldn't even get a word in edgewise,
'cause the guy barely had any gas in his tank.
Couldn't even start his car. Not because of a broken window,
but because someone siphoned his gas tank.
That sucks. Bummer for him.
You did it, didn't you?
And I'd do it again. I know what that kid is going through.
Yo, yo, hey. Gabs.
You committed a crime.
While wearing a 42 uniform.
You are lucky the owner isn't pressing charges.
And look, I...
I am truly sorry about how you grew up,
but that is in the past, and it needs to stay there.
- Easy for you to say. - Enough.
You think you have problems?
Well, canceling a wedding is not a problem.
Neither is sulking in an Airstream.
But you know what is?
Listening to the love of your life flatline over the radio.
And then losing your kid.
Yet here I stand,
still doing the job.
You know what?
Everyone at the station has an opinion about my life.
And I thought you were a safe space.
But you're one of them,
judging me, and I am sick of it.
And I am not gonna stand here and listen to you
talk ugly about our personal lives
when we're supposed to be at work.
I am out.
Where are you going?
CAPTAIN [over radio]: Crawford, do you copy?
Firefighter Perez!
Go for Crawford.
Bode, this is unwinnable!
There's no such thing.
- We're not losing Brian's house. - We already did.
Take the loss.
Smell the milk.
If you don't,
you're getting us both killed.
Firefighter 1591, Cooper IC.
Pull back to the Jack Pine staging area now.
Do you copy?
Copy, Chief. We're headed out now.
Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.
This way.
The fire hasn't made it to the northwest corner yet.
It's on all sides. There's no way out.
No, no, no, no, no. There-there has to be.
- Bode! - We're not going down on our first call.
I refuse. Bode, look!
We should've left when Chief told us. We should've listened.
We did. We listened to that guy, we tried to help him.
Yeah, well, trying to save his second chance
might have cost us ours.
No, no, we got to find a way out.
Right there, right there. Quick.
Come on.
Get down!
The pool.
We got to get in the pool.
What? Come on.
We're gonna wait this out.
No. Bode!
Come on, we got to go.
- Come on. - Bode...
...I can't swim.
Come on, come on.
Bode, I'll drown. I can't swim.
Not on my watch.
We'll stay close to the edge, okay?
It's the only chance we got.
Come on. You got to take off all your gear.
Everything heavy. Come on, it's got to go.
Now.
This fire's getting close.
Come on. We got to go.
Let's go.
Go.
We got to get out deeper.
We got to get towards the middle.
Come on.
I've got you.
I'll hold you up.
- What if you can't? - I can.
Listen, Bode,
if we go under, you have to let me go. All right?
I'm not killing you because I never learned how to swim.
Promise me.
- No. I'm not doing that again. - Bode, promise me.
On three. Ready?
One, two, three.
Come on. Go.
Breathe.
-We're good, we're good. -Okay.
Breathe.
Need all the horses back in the barn, let's go!
- Hurry up, let's move! - You left my home for fire,
now you risk it for fire.
I'm not aligned with fire, Daddy, I fight it.
If that's true,
then you're losing.
And it goes against everything I believe in.
Look, this backburn is our only hope of saving the ranch.
That's what everyone keeps telling me.
- Yeah, 'cause it's true. - Well, I hope so.
'Cause if not?
You burn my ranch, you burn me for the last time.
We are done.
Hey. Chief.
Gabs walked out on the job.
In the middle of an incident?
She's going through it. I know you know that.
Look, we had an argument, and then she left
on foot off of Route 7.
That road is completely burned over.
The whole area is a no-go.
Greencrest,
get me a unit on Route 7.
Firefighter Perez is trapped out there and possibly lost.
The wind's picking up.
Yeah.
In the wrong direction.
42, let's get some water over here!
You got it, Chief.
Go back, go back, go back, go back, go back.
No, no, no, no, not the barn.
Daddy, I'm sorry.
You gambled my land.
My life. You're sorry?
No, it was, it was the-the ember from the wind change.
It wasn't-wasn't because of the backburn. I...
Everything I've done
is for my family.
And this is how you repay me?
With this fire?
JAKE [over radio]: Route 7 fire's spreading.
We still don't have eyes on Perez.
Hey.
What was that? Where's Perez?
I heard she took off.
What do you mean she took off? Where-where did she go?
Somewhere by Route 7.
Sorry. All I know.
Road's burning like crazy back there. Bad all over.
Whoa, hold on.
Manny? Keep it together.
Can't do that, man. Not with my daughter out there.
- You okay? - I mean, I'm not dead yet,
so yeah.
All right. All right.
This fire's getting a lot closer.
It's getting hotter,
so we're gonna have to go under.
- No, I can't. Bode, I can't. - Come on.
We have to. Just take a big breath.
Biggest one you can. All right?
Go.
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Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org