I don't want to cut the firefighters short. They didn't all leave; I can still see a few firetrucks up there on the only road available. Getting pretty smokey and a breeze has kicked up.
I dont think any one with any brains thought you were slurring the firefighters, at least some people understand that they have to pull back to a safe spot regroup get out of harms way, check equipment, access the fire movement, so they can try to do the job and stay alive! And NOONE can stay in that heat with equipment without a break or they would die of heat stoke!
These pics I took yesterday, July 2nd. The first pic is just the fire but the second pic is where the firefighters took a stand. They were located about where the white smoke is. The fire ended up going around them and then down the other side of the mountain. The last pic shows the fire starting to come down the hill towards Shasta Dam. That is the dam on the far right. They are still filling the water trucks here at our building but the fire is, basically, out. I can't see any significant fire activity from my viewpoint any longer.