Fire is simultaneously humanity s best friend and our most ruthless enemy. Fire warms and comforts, enables us to cook food, and powers much of our industry. But it can also be a raging killer. Once out of control, it destroys homes, lives, and lays waste to vast areas of land. Firefighters have a long history of courage and sacrifice in overcoming flames to safeguard their communities. The New York City firefighters, who risked and lost their lives fighting the fires at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, were some of the more recent additions to a long line of firefighting heroes. Putting Out Fires examines the lives of firefighters, the training they undergo, and the hardships they endure while fighting fires. Learn about the special dangers of wildfires and aircraft fires and what the future of firefighting looks like. This book offers a comprehensive look at the history of firefighting and what it takes to be a firefighter. PUBLISHER S NOTE: Each title in this series contains a foreword from a noted security and antiterrorism expert who has served in the FBI, Marines, and police force, color photos throughout, and back matter that includes an index, chronology, and further resource lists of books and Internet resources. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series, encouraging library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content-rich nonfiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers can reference back to the definitions building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars are highlighted graphics with content rich material within that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Text-Dependent Questions are placed at the end of each chapter. They challenge the reader s comprehension of the chapter they have just read, while sending the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects are provided at the end of each chapter as well and provide readers with suggestions for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. Educational Videos provide links via QR codes to online video content that gives a multimedia dimension to the topics. And a Series Glossary of Key Terms is included in the back matter containing terminology used throughout the series. Words found here broaden the reader s knowledge and understanding of terms used in this field.