Fire fighting is a race against time.
If one does not get to the scene in time, one may lose a home or loved one. Possessions do not make it, pets do not make it, and sometimes even firefighters do not make it. One may not see the fire in time, one may not make it to the fire on time, one may not make it out of the fire in time. Time is everything when it comes to fighting the battles. Sometimes one wins, but most of the time one loses.