Scifres received his bachelor of science and master of science degrees from Oklahoma State as well as a doctor in philosophy from the University of Nebraska. Brian Oswald, sponsor of SFA Fire Crew said of forest fighting. It is dangerous. The adrenaline rush is pretty high and that's why people in the early twenties love it. Battling fire, smoke, heat and filth, the SFA forest fire fighting club has been working for about six years with the U.S. Forestry Service in controlled burns and fire fighting.
Firefighters die every year.
Though so far the crew have suffered no serious injuries. Though the crew is well-versed in prescribed burns as well as forest fires, each fire is new, Oswald said. The one outside town has been burning for nearly a month now. Just this past weekend it burned another three acres. And while this fire was a result of nature, Oswald said most East Texas fires are created by humans, either accidentally or on purpose.