Twenty-four women between 16 and 19 years old from around the Puget Sound area and across the U.S. and Canada will gather in Tacoma July 19 for training exercises as part of Camp Blaze. The training in Tacoma includes rappelling, aerial ladder climbing and using the Jaws of Life to cut up a car as part of the week-long event based at the Washington State Patrol Training Academy in North Bend. The camp also includes live fire training and search-and-rescue.

Camp Blaze aims to give young women more confidence by teaching them about teamwork, problem solving and physical agility. Camp instructors include 60 professional female firefighters who volunteer their time from Seattle, Tacoma, San Diego, San Francisco, Houston and Boulder.

Instructors created Camp Blaze for young women who are interested in a career in the fire service. For more information, go to http://www.campblaze.com.