“There’s nothing more terrifying than a wall of fire advancing across your backyard,” says Ronnie Gibson, a volunteer firefighter in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. “I was completely caught off guard by a fire in my neighborhood 12 years ago. The fire approached at an alarming rate and razed my house. That was my call to action. I realized the community was totally unprepared to deal with such forces of nature.”

Community Centered

Today, Gibson is at the forefront of firefighting activities in a subtropical place where the summers are typically long, hot, and humid. In this part of Brazil, fires have been increasing in frequency and intensity due to changes to the climate and in agricultural practices. Gibson is a member of Brigada Carcará, a volunteer organization working in alignment with the local municipal firefighting agencies to protect the environment through the prevention and control of forest fires.

“A lot of our work revolves around educating people about the need for an ecologically balanced environment,” he explains. “We also provide support to communities and wildlife affected by natural and environmental disasters.”