LIFESTYLE
Racing into Challenges Jayson Uribe By Rod Charles, Vacay.ca
IN OCTOBER 2017, MOTORCYCLE RACER AND VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER JAYSON URIBE WATCHED AS FLAMES FROM A FIRE IN TUBBS, CALIF., DREW CLOSE TO HIS COMMUNITY. THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRE IN THE STATE’S HISTORY AT THE TIME, IT CONSUMED ALMOST 37,000 ACRES AND DESTROYED SOME 5,600 BUILDINGS BEFORE IT WAS UNDER CONTROL.
Although the fire was over two miles from where he lived, Uribe knew that if the winds shifted, his home could be in jeopardy. It was one of several defining moments in his life as he realized he wanted a career that would allow him to help others by running toward danger, not away from it. “I was like, okay, I don't want to keep running away,” recalls Uribe. “And then we had the Kincade fire and for me I knew it was time to actually do something about this and get out there.” The Kinkade wildfire later that month scorched over 100 square miles and damaged over 120
buildings. Uribe, who was working as a self-employed electrician at the time, has vivid memories of being escorted by firefighters as he worked to restore power. “Obviously the fire was going through and destroying everything, so nobody had power or water. When we came into a community, the firefighters e s c o r t e d o u r t e a m w he reve r w e needed to go to get things up and running again,” says Uribe. “I felt that I didn’t want to be the guy that's getting protected and escorted. I want to be the person that's actually doing the work to make sure people are safe.”
JAN - APR 2022
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