These 15 Riveting Photos of Firefighters in Action Showcase the Strength and Courage They Need to Risk Their Lives to Save Others

On September 11, 2001, firefighters were at the forefront of the devastation at the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon outside of Washington, working tirelessly to save as many people as possible. For this collection of photographs, we are highlighting heroic firefighters around the world who courageously save lives every day. For centuries, people have relied on volunteers to put out fires.

In America, volunteer fire departments date back to colonial times. The first volunteer fire department was established in Philadelphia in 1736 by Benjamin Franklin. During the 9/11 attacks in New York, more than 1,400 firefighters and rescue workers were on the scene, and 343 FDNY firefighters died.

Today, wildfires are some of the biggest threats to the environment and they have been getting significantly worse since the 2000s. On this somber anniversary, we acknowledge the sacrifice made by our firefighting first responders. Jeff Campagna is a photo editor at Smithsonian magazine.

You can follow him on Instagram at @jeffcampagna. Jess Daninhirsch is a reporting intern focusing on museums for Smithsonian magazine. A Note to our Readers Smithsonian magazine participates in affiliate link advertising programs.

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