It was late winter, and a wall of flame was approaching the small town of Pampa with hellish ferocity. Homes, roads, cattle and more than a million acres of prairie had already been incinerated. In the Texas panhandle, the resources available to fight back against an inferno of this magnitude seemed woefully inadequate.
And that’s when a group of teenage boys, ranging from ages 14 to 17, joined the battle. While most high school kids in late February and early March are occupied with school and homework and looking forward to spring break, these young men were thinking about whether or not their homes were about to be wiped off the map.
They could have evacuated with their families, but instead they joined their fathers and other members of a largely volunteer fire brigade to confront the flames head-on. ABC News reported that one of these young men, 15-year-old Nathan Slater, was actually picked up from school by his mom and dropped off minutes later at the volunteer fire department to join the effort to stand up against what had become the largest wildfire in Texas history.
The boys performed several critical tasks during their tour of duty, providing water, replenishing supplies, and hosing down hotspots alongside the more seasoned firefighters. They stepped up when their community needed them and supported one another along the way.
Nathan’s mom, Christie Slater, told Amarillo’s ABC 7 News, “These young men are all so very, very brave. As a mother of one of these amazing young men I have never been so proud or terrified!”
Making their mothers proud. Serving their communities at the expense of their own comfort and wellbeing. Putting their lives at risk. These are not the stereotypes that our culture typically associates with teenage boys — or with men in general.
Instead, we read a lot about “toxic masculinity” and the idea that all males are either dangerously chauvinistic or pathetically inconsequential. And yes, there are plenty of valid and distressing examples of men behaving badly. But we hear precious few stories about males who channel their masculinity into pursuits that are productive, selfless, and in this case, even heroic. These brave young men on the plains of Texas are most certainly heroes. They ran toward the flames and put themselves at risk for the sake of their families, homes, and communities.
And it wasn’t just the young men. Each of these teen boys was paired with an older, more seasoned firefighter to help them navigate the unprecedented challenge before them. This speaks to something far beyond the technicalities of fighting wildland fires. It’s a neon sign illuminating the importance of fathers, grandfathers, and other men investing in the lives of the next generation and serving as mentors and role models.
This was a critical element missing in my own upbringing. Despite growing up in Southern California under the threat of the Santa Ana winds, I never had to fight a wildfire. But I did have to navigate high school, relationships, and just growing up in general. There wasn’t a single positive father figure in my life to help me figure it all out. Finally, midway through high school, a caring Christian football coach took me under his wing, introduced me to Jesus Christ, and helped provide some of the critical pieces that had been missing for much of my life.
That’s why it was so encouraging to see two generations of men join together to fight the fires near Pampa. When the mother of one of the boys was interviewed by ABC News, she indicated that her fears for her son’s safety were mitigated by the fact that he was “around some really, really amazing men” who would offer guidance, protection, and training.
This is what every young boy needs! A caring father, along with extended family members, pastors, and reliable mentors who will help him channel his God-given masculinity in healthy directions. This is true for boys in urban and rural settings. It’s true for boys who are experiencing poverty and for those who enjoy seemingly limitless privilege. It’s true for boys across every country and culture.
The next time you read a story or see a movie dismissing masculinity as “toxic” or depicting all men as hopelessly selfish buffoons, I hope you’ll remember the brave teenage boys who helped fight the Texas wildfires. There are many more like them in communities across the United States, and they need our support, our investment in their future, and our example, not our ridicule.
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Originally published in the Washington Times | 
