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Wash. county FFs raise Seattle Seahawks ‘12th man flag’

Two Spokane County Fire District 8 firefighters raised the flag in honor of all members who battled the devastating wildfires in the state in September

By Rachel Engel

SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Two members of Spokane County Fire District 8 were selected to hoist the Seattle Seahawks’ official “12th man flag” in honor of those who battled the wildfires across the state earlier in the year.

Chris Hoagland, whose children, Russel and Luke, are named for Seahawks players, and Adam Villard are both fans, and said they were humbled to be chosen for the task.

The “12th man” is a reference to fans, as most football leagues allow 11 players on the field at a time. The Seahawks’ “12th man flag” honored all firefighters who helped battle the wildfires in Malden and Pine City, The Spokesman-Review reported. Both Hoagland and Villard were some of the first firefighters on the scene of those blazes.

“The best way I could describe it is, I’ve never been in a war zone, but if I were to imagine one, what I found in Malden would be that,” Villard told The Spokesman.

The two men also said they felt slightly guilty after raising the flag.

“First responders, nurses, doctors, everyone, we all do our part,” Villard said. “And we were both like, ‘Why us?’ and I think I threw out the Russel Wilson quote, ‘Why not us?’ and we both kind of laughed.”

https://www.facebook.com/Spokanecountyfd8Local3711/posts/3425021594286169

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