Reflections in Smoke
A Firefighter's Story
by
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Thompson came out of the overhead door and yelled, “Bring it here.” They started to carry and drag the hose and Thompson came out to help them get the hose in place.
There was a stairway leading to a trap door in the ceiling. They took the line, with the Lieutenant on the pipe, up the stairway and stopped.
“When we get water,” Thompson said, “reach around me and push that trap door up. It’s on springs and will go up real fast. Watch your face because that will be pure heat coming at you.”
When the water came, Thompson opened the line and covered them while Charlie reached around him and pushed the door up. It shot up like a rocket and a blast of heat and smoke hit them that nearly knocked them off the stairway. Thompson had the line wide open and was throwing water right, left and over their heads. Thompson motioned for Charlie to take the pipe. They exchanged places without ever taking the water away from the fire. Under Thompson’s direction, Charlie applied water on the fire.
Charlie thought, “For Christ sake, this is so hot I can hardly breathe.” He put his head down near the nozzle as he had been taught and kept putting out fire.
A ball of fire came over their heads and Charlie thought, “I’ve got to get out of here before I get killed.” “Keep throwing that water,” Thompson yelled. “We just about got this thing whipped.” As they worked, a certain feeling of accomplishment came over Charlie and he thought, “Bullshit, we are whipping this baby. I did it. I stayed at a hot fire.”
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About the Book
REFLECTIONS IN SMOKE is a story about
firefighters, their job, their families, and their relationships with other
firefighters, citizens and the city officials.
The story is seen through the eyes of Charles E.
Mixler, a World War II combat Marine Veteran, who had attended Center City
College.
Mixler becomes interested in the fire department
after seeing the firemen in action.
Charlie joins the Center City Fire Department in
1949. Over his thirty year career, he
and his fellow firefighters encounter a variety of emergencies and life
threatening situations, as well as calling on their human instincts in helping
people cope with tragedy and loss.
He completes rookie school and is assigned to a fire
company. Charlie learns his trade by
the aid of his officers and his fellow firefighters.
Throughout the book there are many fire runs and
other emergencies. There are fires in
homes, stores, and factories. There are
fatal fires, automobile accidents, storms, an airplane crash, Church fires and
arsons. These emergencies cover the
scope of a firefighter’s job.
The story takes you inside the many fires and
emergencies and makes you almost think you can smell the smoke and feel the
heat.
There is a fatal fire that involves a firefighter,
his crews’ reaction, the viewing and the funeral.
The story also relates to the family side of a
firefighter’s life and the trials and traumas they must endure. It also tells of the personal toll a
firefighter’s chosen profession takes on him and his peers, as they must deal
with death and other emergencies on a daily basis.
The story explains what makes a man do this dirty,
demanding, dangerous job and keep coming back for more in spite of the cost.
It tells the story of a happy family and the support
they give the firefighter. It also
tells the sad story of a family breakup, divorce and of the heartbreak of
Charlie’s friend, Paul Davidson.
The firefighter’s sense of humor, crude as it may
sometimes be, shows how they use humor to keep their sanity and to ease the
stress and strain that is such a big part of their work.
The story follows Charles Mixler from rookie school
through the ranks, until he retires as a District Chief.
About the Author
Charles W. Wright was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. He graduated from Stivers High School in 1943 and immediately joined the United States Marine Corps. He served in combat in the Pacific and was also recalled to serve in the Korean War.
He attended the University of Dayton for a while, but decided he would rather be a firefighter than a CPA.
Charlie served twenty-eight and one-half years with the Dayton Fire Department. After retirement, he served as a Fire Safety Education Specialist with the Ohio State Fire Marshal=s Office for fourteen and one-half years.
Charlie likes almost all kinds of music. He is an accomplished musician and loves to play Dixieland.
He is active in several non-profit organizations and still keeps in touch with the fire service.
Charlie is a widower. He has two children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.