Local fire chief in the spotlight

Local fire chief in the spotlight

Haubner...kezi 9 news.

A small town fire chief is in the spotlight tonight.

Christiana rainbow plews -- who you might know as chief rainbow -- has been battling the holiday farm fire since it broke out.

And she did this -- while her family's home and fire station was crumbling down.

Kezi 9 news reporter jillian smukler joins us live in the studio with more on this incredible story.

Renee -- i think we could all use some encouragement tonight.

And i think chief rainbow's story is doing just that --- not only here at home -- but across the country.

That's because her friend posted her inspiring story on social media -- and its going viral.

Thousands of people are sharing the post -- praising who many people are calling -- a local hero.

"its tough to fight a fire with a broken heart" the words of a fighter.

A woman who proves she's willing to do whatever it takes to help her community.

"if i can keep one another person from feeling the loss that we have felt its worth it" rainbow lost everything in the holiday farm fire.

Her home -- half a dozen of her district volunteers homes and her station -- in the upper mckenzie rural fire district.

But -- that wasn't going to stop her from doing her job.

"just to be able to compartimenalize that devastation and continue to do your job im in complete awe of" she says it wasn't easy.

"i cried i did fall apart im not going to lie" but her priority was keeping*other safe -- and supporting the crew members whose homes burned down.

"i try to get my folks that had lost everything off the line as soon as i could" like their fearless leader -- they wasted no time.

"they're all back there now most of them have not seen their homes" and they're all volunteers -- proving their dedication to the community.

"no jobs no homes no nothing literally just the clothes on their back and fighting this wildfire right now" and rainbow's call to raise the evacuation level early -- is being credited for saving lives.

"she knew right away that it was something they were not going to be able to contain, and they did not have reinforcements coming anytime soon and so she just said lets go lets get them out because the alternative is i wait too long and something really bad happens" her son says -- she's quick to blame herself.

Even when she does everything right -- it's never good enough.

"she is somebody that has never recieved the recognition that she deserves.

And that's the thing that you know out of the tragedy out of the devastation there can come a appreciation of things that maybe were taken for granted before hand" he hopes others will remember this story -- when they're watching crews battle these historic wildfires.

"bringing awareness to the fact that they there are people out there who are struggling really bad and giving anything you can helping in any way you can volunteering even going up to someone you know that has lost something and giving them a hug would be helpful" when i asked chief rainbow how she feels knowing thousands of people are being personally affected by her story -- she said the support is overwhelming.

Her message for the community tonight is thank you.

She says -- the sooner they can get these fires under control -- the sooner people can start rebuilding their lives.

Reporting live in the studio jillian smukler kezi 9