Fire Apparatus Journal

Canada’s wildfire situation continues to escalate, with more than 830 active fires reported nationwide and over 100 currently classified as out of control.

The response remains a massive coordinated effort, with firefighting agencies and crews working together across the country. Extreme heat, heavy smoke, and unpredictable fire behavior continue to create challenging conditions for those on the front lines.

Thank you to the firefighters, emergency personnel, and support crews working in these dangerous conditions to protect communities.

Pictured: A helicopter dumps water on the Brunswick Creek wildfire on Saturday, July 11, 2026. (B.C. Wildfire Service)

For many in the fire and EMS service, Emergency! was the beginning of a lifelong passion.

Thank you, Randolph Mantooth, for bringing John Gage to life and inspiring generations to answer the call. Your impact on the fire service community will never be forgotten.

Twenty-six years after its last appearance in print, Fire Apparatus Journal is proud to bring "Behind the Fence" back to its pages.

"Before it was destroyed in the CZU Lightning Complex Fire in 2020, this 2009 International/Pierce 1800-gallon dry-side tender with 1000 GPM pump served Lockheed-Martin Missile Systems. It was originally delivered to the Waterton Canyon, Colorado facility before being transferred to Santa Cruz, California in 2017."

"The Department of Energy operates this 2000 Ferrara Inferno 1500 GPM rescue-pumper with 1000-gallon water tank as Squad 66 at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in Plainsboro, New Jersey. It originally served at DOE's Rocky Flats Site near Golden, Colorado."

- Photos and Column by: Nick Gregorio

As creator Leo E. Duliba once wrote, "Behind the Fence" focused on a "segment of apparatus that is rarely seen by us" and featured some of the "most difficult to find and least photographed fire apparatus."

Today, that mission remains unchanged.

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