Camp Ignite: firefighting camp for girls

Mississauga firefighters are hoping to ignite a spark of passion for their profession among teenage girls.

This is not a standard summer camp. Here, girls will not be starting fires, they will be putting them out.

Captain Shelli Varela, the first female firefighter in Mississauga, helps run the camp.

She joined the Mississauga Fire Department in 1994 and became captain in 2008.

Girls from ages nine to thirteen can sign up for Rockford Fire Department’s first ever all-girls youth fire camp.

During their training, the girls will be outfitted in standard firefighting gear that weighs around 30 pounds. They’ll also be wearing an air tank, which weighs an additional 45 pounds- all while performing a series of firefighting drills.