Crackling sounds fill the air as the flames eat up the building, the trees, the land. The smoke is so thick you cannot see where you are going. Your helmet blocks the view further, pressing down on you like the rest of the 45 pounds of gear protecting you from the intense heat and toxic … Continue reading STORY AND VIDEO — Firefighters hard to recruit in Contra Costa: ‘It’s a stressful business and that is the nature of it.’