Female firefighter. This firefighter is part of an elite crew of US firefighters known as 'hotshots'. They respond to fires rapidly and employ a variety of ground and air techniques to manage forest fires, including the deliberate lighting of fires. Firefighters on the ground carry hand tools such as shovels and pulaski axes to clear areas of land, known as firebreaks, in an attempt to halt the spread of the fire. Photographed in 2001 at Hells Canyon, Oregon, USA.