Winter Magic at Fire & Ice Camp
Over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, three incredible campers from D.C. packed their winter gear and headed north for Fire & Ice Winter Camp, a long-standing program hosted by the Portland Firefighters Children’s Burn Foundation in Maine.
For our kids, this wasn’t just another camp.
It was a reunion.
A Camp That Feels Like Family
Every January over MLK weekend, Fire & Ice gives kids a long weekend filled with winter sports, laughter, and connection. For many of these kids, it’s more than just a weekend away—it’s part of a year-round community. Campers often attend multiple burn camps throughout the year, from summer programs to winter retreats, building friendships that stretch across states—and even countries.
When our three D.C. campers arrived, they weren’t walking into a room of strangers. They were walking back into their people.
As one camper said at the end of the weekend, “It always flies by.”
And it did.
Snow fell softly over the mountains. The ocean shimmered beneath gray winter skies.
It felt, in Amanda Levin’s words, “almost like a dream.”
Winter Adventures (and Brave Firsts)
This camp is uniquely special because of the season. Instead of ropes courses and swimming docks, the kids traded sneakers for skis.
The weekend included:
Skiing and snowboarding
Snow tubing
Ice skating and hockey
A trampoline park with zip lines and foam pits
Arts & crafts night with a guided canvas painting
Carnival games and virtual reality stations
A formal dance on a boat — yes, a boat — out on the water
And in true camp fashion, the kids didn’t just participate.
They thrived.
One of our D.C. campers, who had never skied before, started the day unsure and frustrated on the icy beginner hill. He fell. He got back up. He tried again. By the end, there were videos of him cruising down the slope — determination written all over his face.
That same camper later learned he had been named Camper of the Year — a recognition voted on by peers and counselors. This summer, he’ll be honored at a firefighter hockey game, complete with his own jersey and a special shout-out.
Not bad for someone who almost gave up on the bunny hill.
No One Sits on the Sidelines
One powerful moment perfectly captured the heart of Fire & Ice.
During ice skating, one camper couldn’t fit into the available skates. Instead of sitting out, counselors placed him in a chair on the ice, handed him a hockey stick, and pushed him into the action. He raced alongside everyone else, laughing just as hard.
That’s the culture.
No one is left behind. No one watches from the sidelines.
If winter sports weren’t your thing? There were intense Uno tournaments in the lodge. Card games. Quiet conversations. Plenty of ways to belong.
And often, the inclusion didn’t come from adults.
It came from the kids.
If someone was standing alone, another camper would step in first.
“Hey, what’s your name?”
“Come try this with me.”
“You’ve got this.”
They don’t wait to be told to care.
They just do.
When Campers Become the Teachers
Amanda, who attended as a representative of the D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation, expected to help guide the kids through winter activities.
Instead, they guided her.
She hadn’t skied in years. She had never ice skated. One camper stayed with her on the bunny hill. Another insisted she try the green slope — skiing beside her the entire way. When the counselors encouraged her onto the ice rink and skated off, a camper quietly took her hand and taught her how to skate.
That’s what these camps do.
They build confidence. They build courage. They build leaders.
A Bubble of Joy
All burn camps are special. But there was something about this one — the snowfall, the smaller group, the intimacy of winter — that made it feel different.
“It’s its own little bubble,” Amanda shared. “A place where you escape the harsh reality of the world for a few days.”
By Monday morning, no one was ready to leave. Especially one camper attending his final winter camp before aging out. He knew the rhythm. He knew it would fly by. It always does.
But the memories don’t fade.
They carry forward — into school, into friendships, into adulthood.
And into the next camp on the calendar.
At the D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation, we are proud to support our campers — not just locally, but wherever opportunities for healing and connection exist. Programs like Fire & Ice remind us that recovery isn’t only about treatment.
It’s about belonging.
It’s about family.
And sometimes, it’s about finding your balance on the ice — with someone holding your hand.
Help keep Moments Like This Possible
Programs like Fire & Ice Camp are only possible because of supporters like you.
Your generosity helps send burn survivors to experiences that build confidence, connection, and lifelong healing.
