The branch cracked with a loud noise as Josh walked through the woods behind his house. Actually he was almost a mile from his house. But he was still in his own back yard. Never in his twelve years had there ever been such a dry season in this area. There were fire warnings everywhere. No one was permitted to even burn trash here in this rural area.

Still Josh and his best friend Tom both agreed that this camping trip was still on. Both boys belonged to the local Royal Ranger outpost. Josh was also a member of the Frontiersmen Camping Fellowship. This trip was to help Tom prepare for his PHASE I testing coming up next spring. The two had been planning this trip for months and finally the time had come and everything was ready.

Earlier this morning Josh had called the weather station and asked for the forecast for the next two days and nights. Possible thunderstorms late each day with cloud to ground lightning. Well that was alright thought Josh, I can stay dry no matter how much it rains. He already had plans going in his mind as to the type and size of shelter he and his friend would need. Tom was right on time. Actually Josh had been ready to leave hours ago but he promised his mom he would take care of a few things before he left. Josh’s parents and his sister were going to the beach for the weekend. As much as Josh liked the beach his first love was the woods. Finally finished he and Tom loaded up their bikes and prepared to leave. "Josh wait a minute!" yelled his mother. "There is a fire warning up county, I want you to take your radio and be very careful"."Aw mom!" complained Josh, "How can we do wilderness survival with a radio blaring away?" Tom nudged him and whispered to him "No one said we had to turn it on" "Right!" agreed Josh. "OK mom we’ll get the portable.

An hour later the boys pulled their bikes off the road and hid them in the bushes. A special place where they had never had them bothered. Loading up their backpacks they started out. "Do you smell smoke?" asked Tom. Little did the two know that they were in mortal danger and they would never forget the next 48 hours.

"Central 21, dispatch to area 7 zone 6 section 3 stat, respond" came the call from fire control. "Roger dispatch enroute, over" said the crew chief at Central 21. Josh and Tom had both heard the rumble of thunder, but neither were aware that a lightning strike started a brush fire which was now burning with such intensity that extra units had to be called in from the neighboring counties.

As the boys approached their destination they were amazed at the dryness of the vegetation around them. The pond was so low that they could walk to the little island in the center. This was really going to be a test now. Josh was counting on some greenery to help shed off the rain that would surely come later that day. But Josh being a good Ranger was READY. He had packed a plastic paint drop cloth in his gear. So after the basic structure was assembled the boys spread the plastic over the top and then covered it with pine needles and what little greenery they could find. At least it would look the part just in case some FCFer just might happen to wander by. Josh knew they had no chance of staying dry otherwise. They only had two meals to cook, so they planned on using their ponchos to keep the firewood dry.

Several miles away the fire burned worse than ever. It was moving towards the populated area of the county, in direct line with Josh and Tom. Josh’s mom had heard the sirens and turned on the car radio. The announcer was saying; "Repeating, the county fire authority has closed all roads west of the interstate, south to the county line and north to the Intercity Mall. The mall itself will remain open until it becomes necessary to close it due to the approaching fires. Stay tuned for further developments ".

Josh’s mom wasn’t waiting for further developments, that was their neighborhood and her son was camping in those woods directly in the line of the fire. Her hand was on the car horn even before the announcer had finished. Josh’s dad, still on the beach heard the horn, recognized it as his car, but more importantly the urgency with which his wife was hitting the horn on the steering wheel. Gathering up all their belongings and calling to Sally who was on here way to the surf line. Turning at the sound of her father’s voice, her face froze when she looked toward the horizon. At first her father did not understand the look on her face, but as he turned in that direction there was no mistaking what she was pointing at. The entire western sky was a mass of black billowing smoke. Almost to the point of blocking out the sun. Sally and her dad ran as fast as they could towards the car which her mom had already backed up to the edge of the boardwalk. Still hitting the horn she kept yelling for them to hurry.

Josh’s dad was an ex-motorcycle patrolman, and he always kept a police scanner with him. This he now turned on for everyone to hear. "Roger!, close off all roads from the overpass west. No access, repeat no access!" Josh’s mom got a real worried look on her face, "What are we going to do now?" she asked. "Turn left at the next intersection", her husband said, "Go two miles and stop, I’ll take over". Puzzled and confused she never doubted her husband when he made a decision concerning the family. Two miles later she pulled over. In the distance she could see the red and blue sheriffs lights from the units as they were blocking the last access to their neighborhood. "James?" she questioned. "Never mind" he said, "just buckle up and hold on!" Slamming the car into gear off they went but only for about 50 yards when suddenly he gave a sharp jerk on the steering wheel and the car shot through a narrow gap in the bushes. They were on an old access trail which had been used by the ranchers in the area to deliver feed and their cattle to the grazing pastures when the interstate was put in. It ran under the road, and very few people actually even knew about it. "Are you sure we can make it honey?" she said quite worried, for the bushes were slapping the sides of the car and they had bottomed out a couple of times. A rock flew up and struck the windshield and sent a crack spidering across it’s width. They were now in kind of a big square ditch just large enough for the car to pass through, in fact in some places it hit on either or both sides at the same time. A hundred yards away to the south the deputies heard the racket and started looking around. However the travois was below their eyesight so they could not see the careening vehicle.

The car shot out of the ditch and into the woods again before it was seen. Smoke now filled the air and ash fell like snow everywhere. The smell of burning pine was so intense that it was choking. Turning the air on only made it worse. Turning it off again at least kept the smell at a tolerable level. Fear filled the girl’s eyes as they rounded the corner near their home. While the house was still intact the woods on all sides were ablaze.. James shot across the lawn and pushed the button on the garage door opener, praying the there was still power to operate the opener. He did not let up on the gas, just as he thought he was going to have to crash through the door it swung open. As he passed under he pushed the button to lower it before he even stopped. He yelled to his wife and daughter to fill the bathtubs and sinks, turn on the sprinklers while he began hosing down the roof. It looked like everything was going fine when all of the sudden they lost commercial power. Utilizing a well system they needed power to run the pumps. Fortunately when James built this house he had the foresight to install a generator for just such emergencies. Located way out in the rural area they lost power quite frequently for long periods of time.

It seemed to be getting dark a little early today thought Josh. I guess it’s due to the thunderstorms mom warned us about. Little did he know that smoke and ash had almost blocked out the light of the sun and it made it seem a lot later "I guess we better get dinner started," he said "OK, Tom you’re on. I think I’ll take a dip while you’re exploring your culinary skills." laughed Josh. "OK" said Tom, "Just remember you have to eat it too!" "Yeah!" said Josh, "but no one said I have to like it" "I do!" joked Tom and he turned to start his preparations. Standing up to gather his firewood he looked out over the pond where his best friend was lounging in the water. What he saw was enough to cause sufficient alarm in his voice. "Josh!" he almost screamed. Josh floating on a log with his eyes closed called back. "Done already, man you’re fast." "No!" yelled Tom "Look!" Josh turned to look where tom was pointing and what he saw made his blood run cold. To the east was a solid black mass of smoke with a definite glow about the base of the cloud. Josh’s mind was in high gear. "OK tom, here’s the situation, "pointing to the east he said" that way is 30 to 40 miles of more woods and swamp. I figure we’ve got about three hours before that fire lands right in our laps, we’ve got a lot of work to do and do it fast, Let’s go!"

Two hours and a half later both boys were sitting comfortably in a hole. A hole dug in the middle of the island in the pond. Over their heads they had spread the logs and trees they had previously used to construct their shelter. Recessed it about a foot below the surface and supported from below. Over that they spread several layers of wet pine needles, then the plastic drop cloth. After that was done they took buckets and filled up the recess with water. All total about eight inches of water was going to protect them from the hellfire which was now less than 100 yards away. Their access was a small depression on one side, which they covered as best they could. The rest was up to God.

"Why doesn’t he answer?" asked Josh’s mom, and then she heard it. The ringing of the cell phone they had given to Josh to carry with him whenever he went camping. The sound came from Josh’s room down the hall. "I told him never to leave this house without this!" she said as she came from Josh’s room with the still ringing phone in her hand. Sally was still crying from fear, the temperature in the house was well over 100 degrees. James was still on the roof spraying water all over it. Every now and then a fiery ember would land and if it didn’t sizzle out by itself, it did after James doused it with his hose. He almost lost the whole thing once while he watched his neighbor’s house burn to the ground. Thanking God for the foresight in installing the generator. For without that power their house would have met the same fate as their neighbor’s.

A cool breeze set upon James’ brow, wet with sweat and water mist blown by the winds produced by the fire. Looking around, James noticed that the fire had started moving away from the house. In fact everywhere the water hit the fire had stopped. It stopped right at the backyard fence. They were safe at last. Still wetting down the roof just in case James now sent a silent prayer towards the two boys somewhere west of here, Somewhere directly in line of the fire.

"Hear it Tom?" said Josh. "Hear the roar, the wind? The fire produces it’s own wind and pushes itself along." Tom nodded and said "I’m getting hot Josh, the fire must be getting really close now." It was in fact so close that looking up towards the roof of their shelter they thought they could see a glow through the poles, pine needles mud and water. The fact that the pond was low to begin with didn’t help matters any. In fact small fish were beginning to float to the surface due to the rising temperature of the water. Josh too was getting hot. "Just relax Tom, we’ll be OK. God would never let anything happen to a couple of star Royal Rangers now would he?" Tom managed a feeble laugh, "I guess not.. Josh" said Tom, "Are you afraid?" "Heck yeah! I’d be stupid not to be. But! God gave us wisdom and the will to survive and that my friend is what it’s all about. We will survive because God told me so. We’ll tell others what we did and...

...Just at that moment there was a large crack. Neither boy knew what had happened. A large tree had just snapped in half and fell, when it did the root system was torn out of the ground and a large underground cavern was exposed. Into this cavern rushed all the remaining water from the pond. The only protection which remained was that which was over their heads. The temperature started rising very quickly now. The last words both boys uttered before they passed out was the Royal Ranger Pledge.

"Turn left here!", said Josh’s dad. The fireman turned to the left as instructed. "Just a little further, it’s so hard to tell with everything burnt" "Josh!, Tommy!" yelled Josh’s mom from the back of the vehicle. Wearing protective covering to help shed some burning embers still flying around. The area was still considered a hot spot and could reignite at any moment. "STOP! " yelled Sally. "There look!" As the truck rolled to a stop all jumped out. The heat was still intense as most of the surrounding trees were still burning to some degree. As the group moved two firemen used portable water systems to help defuse the fire. "Mom! Over here" yelled Sally. "It’s Josh and Tommy’s bikes." They stopped and stared at the charred melted mass of metal and smoldering rubber that had once been two average bikes. "Are you sure that these are your son’s and his friend’s ma’am?" asked a fireman. Josh’s mom nodded as she reached down and carefully picked up a chain with the Royal Ranger emblem hanging on the end. Tears filled her eyes. Off she went down the trail, not thinking about the heat, disregarding the warnings shouts from the rest. She was going to find her boys.

Josh’s mom was first to arrive at the area where the boys were to be camped. She expected to find the charred bodies of her son and his best friend. Instead they found a torn apart camp, the remains of the shelter had been turned to ashes. Pots and pans were charred and scattered all over. Cans of food had burst with the heat. The others finally arrived and Josh’s mom was still worried but relieved in a way as she said. "They’re not here." "Thank God!" said his dad.

"Daddy, where would they go from here?" asked Sally. "I don’t know honey, they certainly couldn’t head for home because that’s the direction the fire came from, and that way," pointing to the east he stopped."What daddy?" asked his daughter. All were now looking where James was pointing. He was staring at the dried up pond. He was wondering to himself out loud. "Why is there water in the middle of the pond on the island and no where else?" Suddenly he yelled, "Josh! Come on guys!" he said in a commanding voice. They ran towards the pond area. Running down the bank the bottom was now like dust instead of mud like it was a couple of hours ago. "Unit 78, come in please, over" One of the firemen stopped and reached for his radio. "Unit 78, over " he responded. "Roger, unit 78, reports say area 10/20 is in reignite status, suggest you abandon search and get those civilians out of there before it’s too late for any of you, over" "Unit 78, understand,over" he responded as he turned to James he said, "Sir, we need to get out of here quickly, the woods on the south quarter have reignited and the wind has changed direction, the fire is on it’s way here again.

Josh’s dad didn’t hear a single word. He knew what he had to do. Reaching the top of the island, he looked into the water, now almost dried up also and saw the lattice work that he knew only one person could do. "Help me quick!" he exclaimed. "Mary " he yelled, "The boys are here! " "Are they OK?" she yelled back. "I’m not sure yet" he said. Mary and Sally both knelt in the ashes and offered prayers of thanksgiving and hope for the boy’s safety to the Lord.

The men finally got off the lattice work,. they saw a sight that made them believe in miracles, both boys lay there, unconscious but otherwise unhurt and more important unburned. Jumping down into the hole the fireman used portable oxygen to revive the boys. "Dad?", croaked Josh. "Don’t talk son just breathe, you too Tom breathe." James stood up grabbed his hands together and shook them in the air to signal Sally and her mother that the boys were OK. Mary hugged her daughter and cried out loud. "Thank you Lord!" Both women were beyond speaking as they cried.

While the boys climbed out of their survival den they surveyed the area around them. The firemen were pulling apart the lattice work to make stretchers. "Why are you doing that?" asked Josh. "For you two, so we can get you out of here". Tommy laughed, "Try and keep up if you can!" The group started back toward the truck just in time. The fire was reentering the area just as they were leaving it. They all were very aware that the boys would not had survived another firestorm. Josh and Tom stopped, turned and looked back whispered the Royal Ranger pledge one more time. Turning away they ran like they had never ran before.

Two weeks later Josh and Tom were honored at a special Royal Ranger ceremony. Both boys were awarded the lifesaving award and the Medal of Valor. When asked to speak, both boys snapped to attention and recited the Royal Ranger pledge. They received a standing ovation. Sitting at a table in back were the two firemen who helped Josh and Tom. They both had been decorated by their department and by the Royal Rangers also. They were so impressed by what they saw and the principals of Royal Rangers, that they both decided to become Royal Ranger Commanders.