By Bram McCraken
ROANOKE, Ind – Hot billowing smoke curled along the ceiling. Flames raced up the walls and consumed the entire upstairs in minutes. That was the scene Blake Smith found himself facing on a calm spring morning, mere hours after a quiet night of family games with his brother.
What began as an ordinary morning quickly unraveled into chaos and devastation. Smith, who had returned home late and fallen asleep on the couch in just a bathrobe, was awakened not by smoke or alarms—but by his cat.
“I woke up with my cat on my chest, headbutting and meowing at me, which he didn’t normally do,” Smith said. “I woke up and knew something was wrong.”
Following the mechanical clanking of pipes in his utility room, Smith discovered the water heater lines shaking violently—the water inside boiling from the heat of a fire rapidly spreading through the house. By the time he reached the stairs, the entire upstairs was engulfed in flames. He grabbed his cat, wallet, and keys, and fled.
The fire, later determined to be electrical in nature, had been sparked by repeated flipping of a faulty breaker switch—a miscommunication between Smith and his wife the night before. The result: total loss of their home.
Despite the devastation, Smith found a new purpose. Just weeks after relocating to the nearby town of Roanoke, he applied to become a full-time volunteer firefighter. While his interest in firefighting predated the fire, the experience made the value of the profession vividly clear.
For about a year, Smith served with the Roanoke Volunteer Fire Department, undergoing rigorous training, responding to emergency calls, and sacrificing personal time to answer the call of duty. He describes his experience as life-changing.
“I enjoyed every minute of it,” he said. “I was drawn to the nobility of the work—to serve and be there when someone needs help.”
Underpaid, Overexposed: The Realities of Firefighting
Firefighters face one of the highest-risk professions in the country, yet their compensation often does not reflect the dangers they confront. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary for firefighters is around $56,000—over $10,000 less than similarly classified high-risk jobs like law enforcement.
Contrary to public perception, most firefighter calls are not fire-related. They’re often the first to respond to vehicle crashes, medical emergencies, and public safety hazards.
“{I} want to be there in a time of crisis and help somebody who needs it—help them calm down and make sure they get the proper care,” said Dave Meitzer, a 14-year veteran of the Roanoke Fire Department.
Meitzer recalls one such moment that defined his service. On Feb. 18, while driving his wife to the hospital, he spotted a vehicle crash up the road. Flames had begun to lick the underside of the car. With the help of a passerby, Meitzer pulled the injured driver from the wreckage seconds before the vehicle was consumed by fire.
His wife, Sherry Meitzer, an EMT, immediately began administering aid on the roadside. The man survived.
Fires That Change Lives
Blake Smith is not alone in having lost a home to fire. Carmen Catellier’s house was destroyed on Feb. 1, after an electrical malfunction ignited a blaze in the basement.
“My kids were downstairs and noticed a bad smell,” Catellier said. She quickly gathered her children, including her youngest who froze in fear, and carried them out of the home. It took nearly 45 minutes for a technician to arrive and shut off the electricity.
“We literally had to sit there and watch our house burn,” she said. While the home was declared a total loss, the quick action of firefighters helped salvage sentimental items—and, most importantly, saved lives.
Clarece Ramsey, who experienced a chimney fire a decade ago, credits heat-resistant insulation for saving her home. A firefighter’s post-fire inspection revealed the chimney had been cracked, not just dirty—meaning future fires would have been inevitable had it gone undiagnosed.
These moments underscore how firefighters do far more than extinguish flames. They assess risk, prevent further tragedy, and offer reassurance during people’s worst days.
More Than a Paycheck
Despite the emotional and physical toll, many firefighters stay for one reason: purpose.
“It’s about the people,” Meitzer said. “The appreciation, the ability to help—it’s worth more than the paycheck.”
Still, the community’s role doesn’t end with calling 911. From supporting adequate pay and training to simply expressing gratitude, recognizing the value of firefighters is a collective responsibility.
Whether it’s Smith’s cat sounding the alarm, a stranger pulling someone from a car, or a firefighter inspecting a chimney that could’ve caused another blaze—each act matters.
And sometimes, out of the ashes, someone finds their calling.