I know it’s a bit unoriginal, but I liked the idea and thought it should be spread to other subreddits. Any artist/genre is allowed, just try to make it fit the Trav subreddit theme.
Most liked song in the comment section gets added by tomorrow.

I've been traveling so have gotten behind on the recaps. Looking forward to getting caught up! Still LOVING the show but had to take a pretty strong exception to a particular story line in this episode. I wonder if you can guess which one ;)
Fire country episode 13 opens with the Station 42 crew treating a protester for low blood sugar while at a demonstration to stop a developer, Neil Wallace, from cutting trees down, in a forested area, to build houses. Collin handles this, his first medical aid call well. Eve is talking to Jake about what would happen if Bode goes ahead with the kidney transplant, that he’d have to go back to a prison hospital to recuperate and might not be able to come back to Camp afterwards.
Just then, a Molotov Cocktail explodes against the side of the construction site’s office trailer, a steel Conex box where Jake, Eve and Collin had just been treating the protester. It’s really good to see the calm demeanor that Eve and Jake use with the extinguishers - no excitement just doing what they’re trained to do.
And at Three Rock Camp, a horn is going off as Manny jogs through the work out area, telling his crew to load up. Once his crew is on the bus, he makes an announcement that today is a big day. It’s Bode’s birthday, his 30th, and it’s time for a fire camp tradition, getting “roofed” (never heard of that one 🤷‍♀️). The crew lifts Bode up, like he’s crowd surfing, and bumps him against the ceiling of the bus several times telling him “Happy Birthday.”
As Bode and Manny walk away together, Bode tells Manny he passed the organ donation psych eval! Manny is super happy for Bode and Bode seems proud of himself for what he’s doing. Bode suggests that Manny that Gaby that he’s getting back on his feet, that he’s doing better. But Manny wants to wait until he’s no longer couch surfing. The two mens’ relationship seems to be back on solid ground.
At the Leone’s, Sharon’s made French Toast for Vince in honor of Bode’s birthday, supposedly. * I’m not sure why Sharon is wearing a shirt with different patches on it. They don’t say CAL FIRE. I saw Luke, as well as the fire investigator who did the interviews after the bridge incident, wearing the same patch. There is only one CAL FIRE patch no matter which program you’re working in. Weird.
When Sharon admits the French Toast might also be a bribe because she needs a favor from Vince, he asks if the favor is for her or “for a morally corrupt developer who wants to cut down trees and put in condos.” Sharon responds that the developer is ready to cut a big fat donation check to Station 42. All he wants is the appearance of an endorsement, a smiling photo with Vince in his dress blues. Vince tells Sharon, “we all know this is a dirty kick back just to get CAL FIRE‘s seal of approval.” Sharon responds, “you do recall that I fought them at a City Council meeting not to do the deal with the development unless Neil was willing to give something back to the department, which he is. Hundreds of thousands of something.” Vince is not sold. Sharon goes on to explain that she is making lemonade out of lemons here. That they are looking at year-round fire season now; that their firefighters are having hard times, like Manny sleeping on their couch. She says this money could really go along ways to helping their people. And she gets a perfect eye roll from Vince as he continues eating his French toast while she holds up his dress uniform telling him how handsome he’ll look in it. Love these two!
*BUT (yes, here's the big one) - I do not love this storyline. A lot of the things the show may not get quite right are easier to overlook. But not this one. Giving public support to a developer because he’s giving a fire station money would never, ever happen. It’s illegal and a set-up for corruption. To make this worse, they say the money is going to personally benefit individual firefighters! This is even worse. And it’s completely off-base. Getting specific fire control strategies wrong or having a Battalion Chief (BC) riding on an engine (If you’ve read my previous recaps you know that this is a pet peeve, but a good-natured one. BCs have their own pick-ups; they don’t ride on fire engines.) But this insinuation is insulting to CAL FIRE and to the fire service in general. When new developments go into cities and counties, often times during planning meetings, when it’s time for the fire department to give their plan review, they will propose a new fire station or new equipment because of the impact those additional homes will have on their suppression capabilities. These recommendations become part of the city or county plan review. But never, EVER is money offered or exchanged. Not to the department, not to a fire station and certainly not to individual firefighters.
Ok, whew. Jumping down from my soapbox . . .
Back at the firehouse Gaby, Jake and Eve are eating breakfast. Eve talks about how maturely Jake and Gaby have been handling their break-up. That she thought she was going to have to choose between them but she’s happy not to have to. They all continue, giving each other a bad time about their dating lives. *This is definitely real fire house behavior! Though the entire crew would be eating meals at the same time, together. Station 42 has at least one other pieces of equipment with at least 3 people assigned per day. There would be a minimum of 6 people at each meal.
Holy shit! I almost spit out my wine when I saw Vince driving a pick-up!! And it even has his number on it B1508! (The B is for Battalion) Whoop! Whoop! THAT’S what real Battalion Chiefs drive! I hope this is going to stick!
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Vince's Battalion Chief Pick-up! Woo Hoo!! :)
Vince arrives, in his pick up ;), at the demonstration to meet with Neil Wallace, the developer. He is in what CAL FIRE refers to as an administrative uniform - a long-sleeve blue shirt and a tie with dress pants. CAL FIRE‘s dress uniform, for chief officers like Vince and Sharon, is black dress pants, a white shirt, black tie and a black blazer with gold stripes and gold “years of service” stars on the left cuff.
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CAL FIRE Class A Dress Uniform
As Vince gets out of his pick-up, he gives a thumbs up to the protestors and goes to greet Neil. While the developer may have a point about Edgewater needing more affordable housing, Vince has a much more valuable point when he tells the developer he should not be building new homes in the middle of a high fire danger area. Neil has no response to this so grabs Vince’s hand and gets a smirk, more than a smile, for the camera. It’s a good scene. Billy Burke does such a great job of portraying a crusty BC! And, except for the long hair and the different patch, he could walk up to a firehouse and easily pass for one of us!
As the two men finish up, the developers SUV is suddenly on fire. Vince assumes that it’s because Neil left his car running while parked on dry leaves. \The only way I know that a parked car can start a fire is on dry grass where the grass is actually touching the exhaust. Plus the fire gets big fast, like there’s an accelerant involved. And telling a citizen, in this case the developer, you’re not concerned about him or his belongings, only the forest, is not something a BC would likely say; even one as crusty as Vince.*
Vince calls in the fire to Edgewater but doesn’t grab an extinguisher or a hand tool. *A 50x50 spot could easily be put out by one person with a hand tool or an extinguisher. Both of which CAL FIRE BC’s carry in their pick-ups. The best way to keep a fire from getting big is to put it out when it’s small. That sounds kind of smart ass ;) but good initial attack is what keeps fires from becoming major incidents.
Station 42 responds to the fire. When they arrive, Vince briefs them and takes Jake and a mystery firefighter to search for other protesters near the site where the construction materials are being stored. Eve, Gaby and Collin grab a hose line and start extinguishing the vehicle and surrounding brush.
Edgewater dispatches Three Rock Crew 4 to the fire. Shortly after, Sharon arrives at scene and assumes command. Manny arrives and Sharon sends them to help Vince protect the building materials. But not before Bode and Gaby get a chance to say hi and smile at each other. Collin notices.
Gaby and Collin knock down the vehicle fire and Sharon tells Eve what a good job they’re doing; that they were well trained. It takes Eve a second to pick up on the fact that Sharon is complementing her abilities as a trainer. Sharon tells Eve that she did well at incident command training and asks if she’d like to shadow her once the fire is knocked down. Eve is excited about the opportunity. Normally requests like that go through your supervisor but they don’t really have time for that kind of dialogue in the show. Eve seems pretty confident with the assignment.
Vince, Jake and the mystery firefighter get to the area where the building materials are stored. \Why dry lumber would be stored in an area that’s not cleared is . . . umm . . dumb*. They pass evacuating protesters as well as construction workers hauling their tools out to the main clearing.
Vince and Jake convince a handful of more stubborn protesters that the fire is real and they need to leave. Once they see the smoke, they do. But one of the protesters has chained herself to a tree with what they’re calling a “sleeping dragon.” Vince says it’s not his first time taking one apart and he and Jake call for more equipment.
Back at the incident base, Collin and Gaby have extinguished the vehicle fire, at least from what we can see so Eve sends them off with the gear Vince needs. The vehicle reignites and Eve starts to grab a hose but Sharon reminds her that she needs to delegate. So she has another fire fighter grab the nozzle and continue to extinguish the vehicle. She looks confused at that idea. Sometimes it can be a hard transition from putting out fires to running one. Often times that’s when people figure out they would really rather stay on the nozzle then wear the white hat.
Vince and Jake continue to work at dismantling the sleeping dragon but the protester has used too much glue and they’re having trouble getting it apart. While they’re working, Jake tells Vince that he is a match to donate a kidney to Sharon. He’s worried that Bode would have to go back to prison to recuperate from the surgery and that might be hard on Sharon. He asks Vince to please pick him so that they don’t have to worry about that happening. Just then Bode walks up with his crew, overhearing the last part of their conversation. Rut Ro.
Jake tries to explain to Bode what his real motivation was but Vince and Manny tell them both it’s not the time; they have work to do. Vince has Crew 4 start clearing around the construction equipment and materials in case the fire comes that direction. He has Gaby and Collin help Crew 4 cut line.
Back at incident base Eve reviews with Sharon why the vehicle reignited. It’s a hybrid and she didn’t see the insignia because it had melted off the car. Hybrids and electric vehicles present a different set of problems for fire fighters. I don’t know a great deal about them; they came along after I’d left the field and, after about 20 years, had gotten my own white hat ;)
Jake continues to free the protester from the tree as she explains to him that her family used to own a small construction company, which Wallace purchased. She goes on to say that her family practiced sustainable forestry (although that’s a completely different business than construction) but her comments are sound. We are not going to stop needing lumber but there is a right way to harvest timber and manage forest land that keeps it sustainable and provides healthy forest land with shaded fuel breaks.
As Gaby helps the crew clear around the building materials, she takes a chance to talk to Bode, asking him what was going on between him and Jake. Bode won’t talk at first but finally explains that he’s bummed to hear what he thinks Jake’s trying to take away his chance to help his mom and donate his own kidney. Gaby doesn’t seem to understand his frustration.
Eve has instructed another crew to raise the still burning vehicle and put cribbing underneath so they can put water directly on the battery and cool it down. Sharon is impressed with her leadership.
As Eve asks Sharon if she ever misses being in the thick of it, the developer approaches them. He’s angry, accusing Sharon of letting his building materials burn. She calmly explains that she is not letting anything burn but he tells her that if he loses his building materials they may lose his donation to CAL FIRE. She, again calmly, glances at everyone holding up phones, recording him and he realizes he’s just stepped in it.
Vince and Jake continue working to free the protester as she explains more about the type of construction her family did, incorporating defensible space around their structures. *This is where the show has such an opportunity to inform the public. Defensible space is vital when homes are constructed anywhere near wildland urban interface area.
As they continue to work, the building materials start to ignite because of falling embers from the approaching fire. The engine crews work alongside the hand crew to break apart the building material piles and, using dirt, they smother and extinguish what they can.
Vince needs water so asks for a hoselay from the engine. Now that Eve and her crew have the vehicle extinguished, she starts to send two firefighters with the hoselay. But then she decides to also go herself, telling Sharon, "thank you for the opportunity but not being able to fight fire has got her crawling out of her skin." She’s definitely not done fighting fire!
\The hoselay looks legit - their technique does; though some of their terminology is different than I remember. And hoselays normally run along the fires edge. You put the fire out as you go, stopping the spread. It could be that they’re just trying to get water to the landing where the building materials are. But that’s a good way to lose all the hose you’ve just put in, as well as your water supply, because as soon as the fire reaches the hoselay, it will likely burn the hose.*
Back at the Incident Command Post (ICP) the developer and a protester start arguing when the protester finds out the developer may likely have caused the fire. *A Chief would not make comments to the public (or a developer) about how a fire started until it was fully investigated. When the developer learns that Tatum, the daughter of the people he bought the construction company from, is in danger, his concern seems genuine.
Eve and her crew arrive at the landing with water to extinguish the fires there and Jake is almost through cutting away the sleeping dragon to free Tatum.
Eve tells Vince the fire is about 10 minutes away which doesn’t give Jake much time to finish freeing Tatum. Vince orders the hand crew and fire crews to evacuate the area causing Tatum to start yelling at everyone about how she didn’t risk her life just to give up on the trees. Insert eye roll here ;) *The crews are about to be overrun by a crowning timber fire. Fire engine crews and hand crews alone cannot put out timber fires. It’s completely unsafe. Clearing around the building material and equipment and covering them with foam before they leave is about the best they could do.
Bode suggests they wrap their fire blankets around the trees to protect them. Jake seems to be the only sensible one, saying that the trees are not the priority. *At first I thought they meant to use their own personal fire shelters; the ones they carry on their web gear in case they are overrun by fire. But I did a little research and found that other countries use large fire blankets in some instances rather than fire extinguishers. And they use bigger blankets on EV fires. It’s a pretty cool concept. Though I’m not sure wrapping a tree on the bottom 6 feet is going to do much to save it when the crowns are burning. Any foresters or arborists out there?
The hand crew and fire crews, along with Tatum, make their way back to the ICP. Sharon tells Vince that a strike team has arrived to take over for them. *This is weird. Initial attack crews, all of the crews and equipment originally assigned the first day, put in at least a full 24-hour shift before they’re relieved. Besides, if it’s too hot for Vince and Crew 4 because of a crowning fire, then another engine strike team isn’t going to be safe (or effective) either.
If it’s a true crowning timber fire, Operations would try to use a natural or man-made fuel break, well out ahead of the advancing fire; or create their own with bulldozers, airtankers, crews and back fires. When a wildland fire has burned into the crowns of the trees, the heat is so intense that it’s completely unsafe for ground troops.
As everyone comes back down the hill, Sharon see’s an opportunity to connect Neil and Tatum so that her concerns can be heard. And so he doesn’t look like such a weasel! ;) Good plan.
Eve catches up with Bode to tell him that he might want to hear Jake out about his being a kidney donor. He doesn’t know the whole story. She also tells him “Happy birthday.” Gaby overhears and tells Bode Happy Birthday as well just before Manny tells him to load up. Here again, the Fire Crew would be working through the night and, hopefully, getting off shift the next morning.
Back at the fire house Collin and Gaby are in civilian clothes as Gaby looks like she's emptying out the frig. In an odd exchange, Collin warns Gaby to be careful not to do anything with Bode. She tells him nothing’s happening there as Collin seems to chalk up his concern to, “we nuggets have to stick together.” But it seems pretty strange. He doesn’t know her well enough and he doesn’t know the whole story.
Eve appears and asks Gaby what she’s doing. She says she’s looking for something that resembles a birthday cake, and she pulls out a chicken!
Eve tells Gaby she thinks she might’ve blown it with Sharon when she decided to go fight fire instead of staying with her and shadowing her. I can’t imagine ever having done that. Once you commit to an assignment you stick with it, even if it sucks. Interesting.
Gaby points out though that maybe Eve's career dissipation light isn’t blinking. (That’s a well used quote from the movie Backdraft, in case you were wondering ;) ) Gaby continues, saying maybe she just has different career goals. That maybe Incident Command is not where her heart lies. That is a valid point. And the way they’ve written Eve’s character, the fear and uncertainty she keeps showing on incidents wouldn’t give me the confidence to put her in that role. She’s not ready yet.
Gaby convinces Eve to come with her to Three Rock with the birthday chicken. This is pretty funny. Not sure why they wouldn’t just stop at a grocery store and grab a pre-made cake though?? *And, like I’ve said before, Firefighters do not ever visit inmates at a camp outside of formal visiting days, even if they are friends.
Next we see Vince and Sharon at Three Rock Camp heading to the barracks with an actual birthday cake in hand! They stop as they see Gaby, Eve and Bode on a picnic bench with the birthday chicken. The look on Vince’s face is priceless when he says, “is that a chicken?” Hilarious! Sharon convinces him that they should let Bode celebrate with his friends and take their store-bought cake home with them. I never get tired of the scenes between these two! Diane Farr and Billy Burke rock these roles!
Eve, Gaby and Bode are having a good time and laughing as Jake appears. He needs to talk to Bode so they walk off alone. After they leave, Manny walks up to the ladies and Eve takes a walk to let the father and daughter have a chat.
This seems to be the first time Gaby and Manny have talked since he confessed his gambling problem. Manny tells her about staying with the Leone's and that he’s trying to dig himself out of the financial hole he’s in. She’s frowning and seems pretty tense. Manny goes on, telling her he knows she’s waiting for him to get his act together but he thinks right now he just needs to feel stable. And if that’s not good enough . . . Gaby interrupts by putting a hand on his arm and telling him she just needs to know he’s getting help; that she can’t be the only one holding him together. They both smile; they seem happy with this new understanding.
As Jake and Bode talk, Jake explains that he wasn’t trying to go behind Bode’s back. That he just doesn’t want Bode to go back to prison - that his mom and dad need him there. Jake adds that it’s been good having Bode back in his life. Bode thinks for a minute and then agrees with Jake. He tells Jake that if he really is game to be a donor, it does make better sense; that if his mom is OK with it, Jake should be the donor. Bode realizes he made this choice about himself, but it’s his mom he really cares about and he wants to do what’s best for her. The two young men reconnect in a good way. It’s a nice scene and an uplifting way to end the show.

So! According to the official wikipedia, season 2 actually does have ten episodes! I would assume anyone could have just added a line for the tenth episode, but the ‘Written by’ title states that the information comes from the Writers Guild of America website, which cannot be edited by the public.
Since AshLyle stated that there are 9 ‘standard episodes’ this season, this makes me wonder if ten is a departure episode of some kind, maybe an extended flashback, or one that follows a character with a previously peripheral role in the story?
I’m super amped to see the direction the season takes, especially if 9 ends on a seemingly definite note, then the road 10 takes will be a great curiosity in the interim!

As of now, our weathermen are safe.

It appears she has run away again.