B.C. fires: a former firefighter's perspective

Thousands of seasonal wildfire fighters are on the ground felling trees and digging ditches as they struggleto contain the wildfires ravaging British Columbia.

Noel Hendricksonspentnine seasons fighting wildfires for the provincein the 1990s.

"As a firefighter, we loved fire. It was what we wanted to do," Hendrickson said.

"We were heavily trainedand we wanted to practice what we were trained in."

Gruelling work

He and his colleagues wouldwork through the night in the blistering heatto help protect homes.

"And thenext morning you're driving through the area and you see the places you couldn't save, and there's foundations showing, there's dead animals, there's burnedfences, and that's the stuff that hits home."

Still, Hendrickson said he and his colleagues were keen to work the long hard days because of what it meant to the communities they were fightingto save.

For more, watch the video: Former wildfire fighter remembers from CBC TV's Our Vancouver.