Kate Hamberger
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Book Launch Day: August 26, 2024
Believer
Storyteller
Former firefighter
Firebrands
Sparks drawing into the midnight sky. Pungent wood smoke and scored earth. The faint whine of a chainsaw cutting in the distance and the scrape of tools on dirt, roots, and rock... I remember those days.
(See back row, 4th from left.)
The Silver Fire in southern Oregon/California was my first big fire experience (same area as the big 2002 Biscuit Fire). The massive Yellowstone Fires of ‘88 kept us working for months. In ‘90, the deadly Dude Fire in Arizona was an intense reminder of nature’s power. That power struck another blow in 1994 when friends and former crew-mates were killed by the blowup on Storm King Mountain at the South Canyon Fire in Colorado.
Firefighting taught my independent self the value of community. Learning to care for the earth and each other began with the life-changing decision to join a fire crew, but the learning continues. I’ll be posting moments from life’s adventures and my dance with difficulties.
About Kate
Old letters and smoke-filled memories turned into chapters and I developed a love for writing. After graduating from the University of Oregon, I wrote lesson plans as a high school English teacher, I wrote a business plan to become a massage therapist, and I wrote letters to family and friends while working through college as a wildland firefighter.
When I’m outside, usually with a four-legged friend nearby, I learn things from nature when I pay attention. I’m curious about matters of the heart and challenges for the soul—and love when they’re framed in a good story.
Photo by Sarah Roegner Photography