Local Author Presentation at Bowman Museum
Join us June 4th at 6 p.m. for an author presentation by former Prineville Hotshot Kate Hamberger.
Crook County High School graduate and former Prineville Hotshot Kate Hamberger will share about her wildland firefighting experiences and about her upcoming book Dances With Fire. From her work as a hotshot and helitack member, Hamberger worked on some of the West’s largest and most complex wildfires. In her last fire season, she worked with the 1994 Prineville Hotshot Crew on several fires before they left for the tragic South Canyon Fire in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Don’t miss her humorous accounts and unique perspective of life on the fire line.
"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. 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."
