Currents News Staff
Over the past year, a dozen bouncing babies have been born to parents employed by the Redding, California Fire Department, creating a baby boom in the Golden State after the area dealt with a devastating fire.
“After the Carr fire, after we all went through something emotional,” explained Kimberly Hanlon, the wife of one of the Redding firefighters.
The Carr fire burned 229,651 acres across California’s Shasta and Trinity counties in August of 2018.
“We all got together, and were telling each other what was happening, and we all kind of figured out we were all pregnant together.”
With 12 babies and nine moms, among the group are three sets of twins.
Now, they call it one big family.
“It’s a big team effort, very family oriented and I think that’s one of the things that’s one of the reasons we love this job and being able to help each other out family and friends,” said dad and firefighter Garrett Claycamp.
On the night the Carr fire barreled into redding, with eight of their husbands out on the fire lines and 6 of the wives pregnant at the time, the group, fearing the worst, grew even closer.
“That night my husband was working and, you know, he told me he loved me through text. A lot of us actually got that text that we love you very much, Hanlon said.
“You don’t want to be alone raising babies, but like I said, we have a good support group here. it’s amazing the women in the family how we are bonded together. We actually communicated day and night, 24/7.”
It was a hard time,” she recalled, “especially being pregnant everyone, you know, trying to get together and help each other.”
Nearly one year later, the community has a sign of new life and growth in the form of tiny fingers and toes, signaling hope for the future within the Redding fire family.
“We are going to have a lot of play dates and a lot of kids and probably tantrums and good times together, yes,” said Hanlon.