Engines also respond to most aid calls. Going into a burning building is frightening and exciting at the same time. You don't have a whole lot of time to think about the dangers, really. Training takes over. And I trust my equipment and my partner.
Some fires are definitely bigger than others.
A kitchen fire is pretty well contained. A house that's fully involved can really get your heart racing. You walk in the front door and you've got a hand line and your partner and you're just trying to find the fire and you can't see anything. It can be confusing and frightening, but exciting. He was wonderful about it, very supportive, even though it meant a huge change in what we had planned, like both of us having the summers off as teachers.