People.com

OKANOGAN COUNTY, Wash. — As the number of wildfires in Washington continue to grow, so does the cost to fight them. But one Brewster lawyer has taken the matter into his own hands.

"Incident commanders held a public meeting where they informed us they had no resources to help our little towns and we were 'on our own'," Alex Thomason, a 40-year-old personal injury lawyer, said. Thomason says he knew he had to do something to help the many residents in Okanogan County who could not protect their homes or afford insurance amid the many blazes that have plagued the state this year. So he bought a $5,000 fire truck from a local station, rounded up a group of friends and got to work.

"We're helping average people who don't have any help around," Thomason says. Thomason's own home was evacuated and he was forced to send his wife and four small children away for their safety.

Full story: Washington Man Buys His Own Fire Truck to Fight Massive Wildfires: 'We Are in a Complete Disaster Zone'