The air was thick with smoke and ash, the sky a roiling orange as the Riverside Fire swept down from the hills. Erin Walker tightened her surgical mask and adjusted her goggles as she stepped off the emergency bus, lunging into the chaos.
“Dr. Walker!" Rosa Alvarez's voice cut through the roar of flames. She stood beside a line of volunteers, handing out water bottles. “We need you in triage—five critical burns inbound."
Erin nodded, adrenaline surging. “Point me to the triage tents."
Rosa led her through swirling embers. The clinic's outdoor area had been repurposed: white tents lined plastic-covered tables. Patients—some coughing, some with singed clothing—waited under flickering lanterns.
“Patient one," a volunteer called. “Twenty-year-old male, second-degree burns, airway compromis
