The Atlantic

Video: The Apache Firefighters Who Stop America's Biggest Wildfires

Why dangerous work became a calling for this Bureau of Indian Affairs-sponsored Native American Crew.

On San Carlos Apache Reservation in southeastern Arizona, unemployment is high, and firefighting jobs are one of the few stable opportunities for work. The Geronimo Hotshots are an elite firefighting crew based out of San Carlos, who spend most of the year on the road, battling the most intense wildfires in the United States. "Your mom, your dad, your uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins—one of them probably fights fire," says Squad Leader Jeff Belvado. The Geronimo Hotshots are one of seven Native American hotshot crews in the United States who are sponsored by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

This documentary features GoPro footage from the Geronimo Hotshots' 2013 fire season, shot by crew member Samson Belvado.