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Camp Cinder held its fourth day of camp with surf rescue training

AVILA BEACH, Calif.- Camp Cinder is a five day camp that introduces girls between the ages of 14-18 to careers in the fire service.

On Saturday the campers got into the water to learn rescue in the surf.


“From the surf rescue. It's just another skill to add to their resume. If this is something that they're interested in, it's a great thing that they can say that they've learned. Cal Fire specifically, we're an all risk department, so we don't just go to wildland fires and structure fires. We do water rescue as well. So it's a great thing for them to learn," said CAL FIRE Public Information Officer Savanna Birchfield.

This year 20 girls from different parts of California were in the camp. The camp in San Luis Obispo runs from June 22-26.


“It's really important to show these girls that they're being represented in the fire service, and this is an opportunity for them to see if this is a career that they would want to pursue," said Savanna Birchfield.

Some Camp Cinder participants want to have a career in the fire service and believe with the training they get from this camp it will help them get to where they want to get to.


“What I hope is that I learn more about this because it's going to help me just get further into the career that I want to do as a firefighter, and it helps me get more knowledge," said Jacky Gaytan a Camp Cinder Participant.


“Definitely an option in my future. Career, and this is definitely really bringing me in even more," said Camp Cinder participant Evelyn Hughes.

The camp is hands on and the girls experience different training like climbing ladders, wildland fire training, water rescue and more.

Camp participants say a camp like this can really encourage more females to get in this field.


“Girls are such a minority in this type of job. And this program helps girls learn about this program it pushes them to like want to do it. Maybe this is the push they need. And I really do think it gives us a really good opportunity and other girls, to try the fire industry because they see that we can do it.”

Lacy Spear, Camp Cinder Participant
“Girls are such a minority in this type of job. And just this program like and even like other girls learning about this program pushes them to like want to do it. Like, maybe this is the push they need. And I really do thinks it gives us a really good opportunity to, like, really see like, other girls in the fire industry and, like, see that we can do it.”

The camp was started by one of the female firefighters in 2014. This is the first year CAL FIRE is sponsoring the camp.

Article Topic Follows: San Luis Obispo County

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Tony Almanza

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