Ponyville Fire Department

by Rescue Sunstreak


18 - Wildfire!

The sound they all dreaded to hear screamed from the speaker mounted to the wall of the squad bay. One loud, short tone, one softer, short tone, and one lengthy, loud tone that pulsed three times. Already, things were in motion. Rescue slammed his hooves down into his pulling boots, glancing up to make sure others were responding, too.

It had been a quiet morning, but that was past now. Rescue spotted Crash was already halfway to the pole that went from the living area down to the squad bay. The damn kid was fast, that was good. Grabbing his pants, he slipped into them with a practiced ease, then the heavy coat, buttoning up as he trotted for the slide pole. Backfire made it first and leaped out, grabbing the brass pole with her hooves and slid down rapidly. Rescue counted to three, and with the same ease as her, he grabbed the pole, wrapped himself around it, and gravity took care of the rest.

He could see Big Macintosh already in his harness but struggling some. Rescue was elated it was the big red apple pony's day on duty with the full-timers. He galloped over and started to help the other draft pony.

“Relax, Mac, think slow and steady. The fire ain’t going no where.”

He smiled as he watched the volunteer exhale, then nod. “Eeyup.”

Trotting past him to the board and looking up with all of Ponyville drawn out on the map, with ten small crystals set into it, Rescue could see crystal seven was blinking. Bull stepped up next to him and scanned over it.

“Far end of town, near Whitetail Woods, alarm box seven. This likely means a grass fire.”

Rescue gave a grim nod. “Too many houses out that way,” he paused then gestured, "Hit the alert boxes, let’s make this an all-call out. I would rather have hooves on than be in need for more ponies.”

Bull paused. “JFE, too? They are in school right now.”

Rescue glanced out the bay doors, he could already see the hints of smoke rising up into the air out past the houses. “Yes, Cheerilee will understand. She supports them, too."

The big unicorn gave a nod and trotted over to a control board. Turning a dial on it to the number seven, he pressed down on a big red button marked ‘all call’. It was not one that was used lightly. Bull did have to pause and marvel, as this was one of the most advanced fire stations in Equestria. They were extremely lucky to have the newest of everything.

Trotting back for the big pumper wagon, and taking note of Big Mac and Rescue hooked up to the smaller wagon already pulling out of the bay, the rest of the team was pulling from the bay in the massive six wheeled wagon just as the siren cranked up on the smaller one.

Citizens jumped out of the way, some looked out of windows or doors as the two bright red wagons raced down the street, sirens cranked to full, small lights of red and blue flashed thanks to magical crystals embedded in the wagons wood, and the heavy rhythm of steel-clad hooves striking the ground and stones as the fire ponies raced past.

Blue flags, marked with the Ponyville Fire Department symbol, fluttered and flapped in the wind from the short flagpole on each wagon. As they raced up the street, other volunteer firefighters ran out to join the sprint.

From Sugarcube Corner came Carrot Cake, pulling his helmet on the fly, turning and leaping to catch the back of the big pumper wagon and hanging on. Looking back at the worried but proud face of his wife standing in the doorway next to Pinkie Pie holding his foals, it was for them he did this, because he needed to contribute, to keep his family safe.

---

Every day without fail since she had been issued it, Diamond brought in the strange long box with ten lights along its side to school with her. It wasn’t too big, but she understood what it did. When ten sets of ears perked hearing the sirens crank up, it was not a surprise. However, when that box started to make a loud beeping sound, and seven lights on it started to flash. Ten foals spun and looked at each other, then back to their teacher.

Miss Cheerilee frowned and turned to look at the box, then up at the foals in the room. She sighed, and then nodded. “Diamond Tiara, you may take your team.”

Without a hesitation, the pink filly jumped up out of her chair and barked. “Coats on, form up in the yard. Move it, Explorers!”

Nine colts and fillies leaped up and grabbed coats as they ran out, tugging on the uniforms as they dashed out the door. Not one was laughing, not one was frowning. It was a serious look to each foals face as they formed up. Diamond ran out behind them and looked them over. “Captain Pip, lets get our team going.”

Turning, Pip looked over the other eight. “Move out!”

Ten fillies and colts began to run in time, staying in two lines of five, Pip and Diamond up front side by side. Not a few parents and citizens saw them coming and moved out of the way. To someone not from Ponyville, it might be a strange sight. However, to the citizens here, they knew the Junior Firefighters were serious about what they did and were proud of their foals.

---

Rescue could see the flames clearly. The grass along the edge of the Whitetail Woods was throwing up flames nearly eight feet high. The trees along the front were ablaze, but the wind was with them... for now. Even as he unhooked, he took note of how the fire was spreading along the forest edge.

Even as the other wagon came to a stop, its siren winding down. He started to bark orders out, knowing the faster they got things going, the sooner they could beat this down.

“Team One, I want three lines there, there, and there," he gestured at three different locations. "Don’t mist it, hit it hard. Team Two, get the pump on line, and get that suction pipe to that lake.” He pointed over to the one about twenty yards away.

“Team Three, harness up, start running buckets from the lake and dumping them inside the fire line, get the trees under control, and mind the updrafts! Bull, I want you to run coordination on Team Three, we don’t want any of our fliers down behind the fire line.”

Turning once that was all done, he was mildly surprised to see the Explorers at a good clip running up the path. He heard Diamond's voice clear as a bell, the filly had a set of lungs on her, that was for sure.

“Team Halt, spread out in a fan, keep civilians back until we get orders. Pip, break up the squads.”

The pink filly ran over and came to a skidding halt in front of Rescue, looking up at him. “Chief, All explorers present!"

“Tiara, good to see you so fast.”

He saw her lift her head at the praise, then looking over at the house line not one hundred yards back and frowned. “Take your team, split them up two to a house and warn all the citizens in that row and that row,” as he pointed, “to get out, have them pull back, and I want one of your squads to break off and escort the citizens down the lane to the park there,” again pointing.

She just gave a nod and was off like a bullet. He observed just long enough to see her break the teams up and send them on their tasks. Looking back at the flames, already two of the three hoses were on it. He glanced over and caught sight of Ailan lifting off from the ground pulling a empty large water bag into the air and heading for the center of the lake. It was going to be a long, rough day, he thought to himself, grabbing up a shovel he headed for the line to start working on it.

---

Four hours later, the fire ponies were all covered in sweat, dirt, and ash. The wind had held and gave them the break they needed. No loss of homes, no loss of life other than a few woodland creatures that ran toward the fire in a panic.

Sitting leaning on the back of the pumper wagon, listening to the steam motor tick as it cooled down, Rescue could see all of team three crashed out and half asleep. They had run a total of two hundred and eight loads of water, and over four thousand gallons between the eight of them.

Glancing up, Rescue could see five of the weather team sacked out on the clouds. One, a rainbow-maned mare, was offering her team a smile. They had kept up a steady rain on the back side of the fire to keep it from spreading into the forest more.

Overall, they lost one hundred and eight acres of grass and forest, but it would all grow back in time. He had found the ignition point already. Dry lightning by first looks of it, and was happy with that. However he would need to do a full investigation before he could sign off on it being natural. A bit of a shake of his head, the fire at the orphanage was still nagging at him, causing him to overthink.

He turned to watch the Junior Firefighters with shovels walking along, turning dirt over where they saw smoke and smoldering wood, under the watchful gaze of Bull and Backfire who would walk over and offer advice and teach, despite how tired they were.

Speaking of the Junior Firefighters, they had really shone. Not one of the twenty-two families they had asked to evacuate had argued or given them a hard time. Diamond had split off Pip’s team to escort the civilians down to the park. It had been Applebloom he found out later, that had come up with the idea to get the evacuated people water, some snacks, and keep them talking. It had been good thinking on her part, kept them from worrying or panicking.

---

The trip back to the station house saw members of the volunteer firefighters falling out of the group. Many of them watched as Carrot was grabbed by his portly wife and embraced tightly. There was pride in the face of Dash and the other pegasi of Ponyville as the foals ran to their family.

Diamond didn’t break off, she remained matching with Pip until she saw her father. Standing there at the station, she ran to him and jumped up, only to have him catch her and hug her close. A soft and quiet voice from the bench seat on the wagon he was pulling said, “Dad, did... did we do it right?”

Rescue gave a single nod. “Yes, son. You did us all proud once again.”

This had been their first call out as a team. Both the regulars, the volunteers, and the Explorers. They had lived up to the honor and duty of the Equestria Fire Department, and Rescue was proud of them all.