Fire Family Life

Stories, hard truths, and creative work rooted in life married to a wildland firefighter

A woman in a wedding dress is kissing a man in a firefighter's uniform on the cheek.
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A bride and groom stand on a scenic overlook near the ocean, sharing a moment and holding hands in a romantic setting at sunset.
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 I’ve been married to my husband and his mistress—CAL FIRE—for over 15 years.

I’ve done the strike team goodbyes, the holidays with an empty seat at the table, and the FaceTime calls from a hotel parking lot while the kids fall apart in the backseat. I’ve packed bags alone, cancelled trips, and held it all together while wondering if he was safe or just quiet.

This page isn’t about venting. And it’s definitely not about pretending this life is easier than it is. It’s where I share what I’ve learned from the frontlines of fire family life—creatively, honestly, and without the filtered version. You’ll find pieces of my story, podcast episodes I’ve cohosted on Dear Chiefs Podcast, and real conversations that go beyond the clichés.

If you’ve ever felt like no one else gets what it’s like to be married to this job… you’re not alone. Welcome home.

For a long time, I didn’t talk about the hard parts. I kept moving through the chaos, managing the schedule, holding it all together while wondering if I was the only one struggling with the weight of it.

Eventually, I started putting words to the things that felt too heavy to carry alone. Not as a brand. Not as a business. Just as a way to feel less invisible inside this life.

Fire family life doesn’t come with a manual. Most of the time, it doesn’t even come with a warning. But writing about it—saying it out loud—has helped me feel more grounded in the middle of all the uncertainty.

I share now because this is what’s true for me. And maybe something in it will feel true for you too..

Why share? Why now?

Where it goes from here

I’m not entirely sure. This space isn’t part of some grand strategy. It’s just where I come when the words won’t leave me alone.

Sometimes they land as captions. Sometimes they become conversations. Sometimes they just sit here, quietly, waiting for someone else who’s been through it too. I don’t have a blueprint for what comes next. But if you’re here reading this, I’m glad we crossed paths. There’s more to say—and when I’m ready, you’ll find it here.

Hand-drawn illustration of a spray paint can with a nozzle and cap.
A woman sitting on a chair reading a pink book, smiling, wearing a white blazer, black top, and rolled-up jeans, with a red coffee mug on a white table next to her in a plain background.
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Photographer. Writer. Wildland fire wife for over 15 years.

Most days, I’m behind the camera documenting love and connection—the kind that doesn’t need a production schedule to matter. But the most meaningful walk I’ve ever witnessed isn’t down an aisle. It’s the one my husband takes when he finally makes it home after a long stretch on the line.

Being married to someone in the fire service has shaped how I see the world. It’s taught me how to hold space for hard things and still choose joy. It’s made me fierce about protecting what matters and gentle with the things that can’t be fixed.

If you’re somewhere in the middle of building your life, carrying too much, or just trying to make sense of the emotional weight this lifestyle brings, I see you.

A red hardcover book titled "A Love Letter Life" by Jeramy & Audrey Poole standing next to a red ceramic mug with the words "FIRE WIFE" and images of crossed axes and flames on it, placed on a white surface against a beige background.

HEY THERE, I’M Chelsi!

Listen on Spotify
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Welcome home

Hold the Line at Home Podcast

Loving a firefighter is not easy work. Hold the Line at Home goes beyond the fireground to talk about what really happens once the shift ends: at home, in relationships, and inside the lives of the people who hold it all together.

The one where I host conversations about REAL LIFE. The show features real conversations with firefighters, first responders, spouses, and professionals who live this life up close. Together, they dig into marriage, identity, mental health, and the unspoken realities that come with serving and loving someone who does. Raw, relatable, and never filtered, Hold the Line at Home is where the real stories finally get told.

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A note about Dear Chiefs Podcast

From 2019 to early 2025, I cohosted a podcast for first responder families called Dear Chiefs Podcast. There, I cohosted conversations on marriage, burnout, and the emotional weight of fire family life. Some of those episodes still hold truth I’m proud to stand behind.

If you’re new here or just looking for something that sounds like your own story, this episode might be a good place to start.

 

Some of the things I’ve written over the years about fire family life still hold. If you’re in a reading mood, start here:

What It’s Really Like to Be Married to a CAL FIRE Firefighter

Tips For Newly Married Firewives

Things Every Firefighter's Wife Should Know

She’s His Hero

From the Archives
Red mug with a 'Fire Wife' logo featuring crossed axes and a flame, held by a woman with rings on her fingers, resting on her lap in ripped jeans.
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Thanks for being here

If something in these words made you pause, feel seen, or breathe a little deeper, I’m glad you found your way here.

This space is always evolving—just like life in a fire family. If you ever want to reach out or share what this season looks like for you, my inbox is open.

Email Me 
XO, Chelsi