by Feeling great, Mr. Coronado said. Pretty fresh still.
On the front lines of the largest active wildfire in the country, hundreds of firefighters from numerous states have struggled to beat back a blaze that has burned more than 400,000 acres. On Friday, the Bootleg Fire remained only 40 percent contained.
Fire officials gave reporters and photographers a tour of the blazes eastern zone along the so-called containment line, a barrier firefighters create to halt the advance of the flame. Small fires burned inside hollowed-out trees. Smoke rose from the blackened dirt as if the earth itself was roasting.
Six hours touring the edge of the Bootleg Fire on Friday in addition to visiting small towns and firefighter camps earlier in the week brought the scale of both the blaze and its response into focus. Miles and miles of pathways have been carved through the forest by hand and machine to halt the fire, creating an impromptu transportation network.
For all the might and resources of the more than 2,300 firefighters battling the blaze, what resonated was the simple and timeless nature of the work. Firefighter after firefighter, in the middle of 16-hour shifts, their yellow jackets dotting the bleak terrain, wielding little more than an ax.
