North Coast News
GASQUET, Calif. — For nearly 50 years, Janice Wyatt has been fighting fires and protecting her community in northern Del Norte County.
The 83-year-old volunteer firefighter has spent most of her life doing a job she enjoys. Wyatt began her career as a firefighter with the Gasquet Volunteer Fire Department during the 60s and 70s. At the time, it was a mostly female force as, many men in the town worked in Crescent City. The fire chief at the time, Louise Slater, called Wyatt and other women to be a part of the fire crew.
“When Louise made the phone call that night, she said we haven’t got a fire department here, so I’m calling up a bunch of women,” Wyatt said. “It’s cause the men in town are always working in town, so we all agreed that it’d be a lot of fun to do.”
Full story: Gasquet woman fighting fires for nearly 50 years