The perfect recipe for a Carolina wildfire? A pinch of spring pollen mixed with smoke-covered skies and steep Carolina ridges—welcome to the Table Rock Complex Fire. There should be spring turkeys gobbling on the ridges and the sounds of hikers on the Palmetto Trail—this week, it’s been the rumble of chainsaws, helicopters, and the crackle of over 15,000 acres of fuel-covered terrain lighting off. As we made our way down the line, we ran across familiar faces and some new ones, but all had a unified mission: to do their part in holding their section of the line. It’s a testament to grit—sweat equity poured into the mountain, day and night, with no clear end in sight. Some crews were on the line while others were staging at structures. There are firefighters on the line from multiple states, with the lion’s share of crews from right here in the Palmetto State. As one crew made its way down the ridge through the smoke and sun rays, I caught sight of one of the fellas passed out on...