They are fighting California's biggest fire — in steep forest terrain with rattlesnakes, scorpions, poisonous plants
UKIAH, Calif. - For Trey Rosenbalm and Ariana Altier, fighting the largest fire in California history takes more than just watching out for flames.
The Mendocino Complex fire is ravaging thick brush deep in the Mendocino National Forest, so getting close to the front lines to attack flames directly is almost impossible.
They hike several miles per day up steep slopes wearing hefty gear and carrying heavy bags of equipment on their backs. Then there's the wildlife they have to watch out for - rattlesnakes, scorpions and poisonous plants.
"You don't know what your next step is, whether you could go into a ditch or loose brush," said Rosenbalm, a firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service who
