LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — October marks the beginning of Kentucky's fall forest fire hazard season, and University of Kentucky forestry students are trading textbooks for fire hoses to gain hands-on wildland firefighting experience through a unique program.

The students, known as the "Fire Cats," are classified as emergency firefighters and work as paid employees for the Kentucky Department of Forestry. They're on-call to fight fires during Kentucky's peak fire seasons from October through May.

"Our students undergo the typical testing needed for anybody that undergoes this type of work. So they work with Kentucky division of forestry to pass a PAC test to show they have that stamina," said Professor Steven Price, interim chair of UK's Department of Forestry.

The Fire Cats aren't just l

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