Last October, just as the weather turned from hot to cool and crisp, the Monterey Fire Department responded to a reported chimney fire. Upon arrival, crews found that the fire had spread from the chimney to the roof. Firefighters quickly contained the flames and used thermal imaging to check for hidden heat sources, ensuring there was no further risk of reignition. What remained was a damaged roof, including charred rafters, and a pair of homeowners left deeply shaken by the experience. This is just another way of saying, “Yes, chimney fire season has begun.”

Across the fire service nationwide, health experts have long been raising red flags. In Monterey, we’ve taken health and fitness seriously for years. Enter the Physical Ability Test (PAT). Come … take a look.

At five years old, Lisa Wren would pull on her grandmother’s oversized snow boots, slip into a plastic firefighter costume and spend afternoons in the backyard spraying a garden hose at cardboard boxes she imagined were burning houses. Around the same time, she became fascinated by “The Magic School Bus.” While other children had favorite cartoons, Wren couldn’t get enough of the episodes that traveled through the human body. Thirty years later, she still hasn’t outgrown either obsession.