Fires attract all kinds of looky-loos such as cars stopped on the road and folks perched on hilltops in lounge chairs with a cooler nearby. But certain types of followers are integral parts of the life of a camp though separate from the organized operations, and they will hang in even when it gets a bit smoky.
Rebecca and Dustin West of Exceptional Fire Services, based in Reno, Nev., pulled their RV and silk screen studio on wheels into a corner near the top of Serenade Lane in south Ketchum late Saturday, Aug. 25. They came directly from another Idaho fire camp. The couple and their employee, retired firefighter Charlene Ryan, were at work early Sunday morning creating Castle Rock Fire tee shirts for firefighters to buy as "souvenirs" of their experiences.
The Castle Rock fire tees have been selling to the firefighters all week like those proverbial hot cakes. After all, these hard-working folks don't exactly have a closet of clothes in which to be refreshed.
Much of the time, they "screen" a shirt on the spot from the back of their trailer, and then present the warm and fresh creation to the customer.
The Wests also contract to do laundry with the firefighters on occasion.
"We're here for the firefighters," Rebecca West said. "They swarm to us, bang on our door if we're not outside. We don't usually see the public."
In fact, while talking to West and Ryan, firefighters streamed by checking out new colors of tees and buying them before heading back to their tents. A few firefighters from Burley and two from Heyburn Fire and Rescue took a look. One was on his way back to Burley to be replaced by another firefighter on his way up to Ketchum, and wanted to take a souvenir home.
They weren't the only ones there, however. For the public it's not just a colorful tee but a show of solidarity with those who are in the valley working on the Castle Rock fire.
Sun Valley residents Caron and Dennis McNamara checked out the tees too. "How sick are we?" Caron asked laughing. "Fire! Let's go shopping."
The tee shirts are all made with 100 percent cotton and pre-shrunk because firefighters can't wear anything made of chemical compounds such as polyester.
Though purchases by the public do not benefit the firefighters, the Wests said they make a large donation to the American Red Cross each year.
Firefighters from Burley and Heyburn (Idaho) fire departments buy souvenir tee shirts near River Run?s tent city. Photo by Dana DuGan
