Cloudcroft Firefighter Takes Antarctica Assignment
Harry Crinklaw will spend eight months at McMurdo Station
Cloudcroft volunteer firefighter Harry Crinklaw is trading the Sacramento Mountains for the world’s coldest, driest, and most remote continent: Antarctica.
The 27-year-old Cloudcroft native has signed on as a firefighter at McMurdo Station, where he will spend roughly eight months helping protect the largest community on the ice — a posting that began with his mother insisting he apply for a job he was certain he’d never get.
“But here we are,” says Crinklaw.
Crinklaw grew up in Cloudcroft and is a familiar face around town. He started working at the village ice rink when he was a teen and has returned “pretty much every single winter” since.
He also spent his early years under the stage lights at Cloudcroft Light Opera Company, getting involved with CLOC in middle school and high school. His most recent return was as the leading man, Spud Tater, this summer.
After high school, Crinklaw headed west to California Aeronautical University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in aviation science. That background, along with his local fire and EMS experience, made him a strong candidate for the Antarctic posting.
A Family Text, A Long Shot
“My parents or my brother just found a job listing somewhere online, sent it to me, and my mom made me apply,” Crinklaw said. “I thought there was no chance I’d ever get it, but here we are.”
He has signed a contract to work as a firefighter at McMurdo Station for the Antarctic winter, which runs roughly from February through August in the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite of Cloudcroft’s seasons.
Crinklaw arrived earlier this February and will return to New Mexico in October, just as McMurdo shifts back into its busy summer season with hundreds more people on station.
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Fire Protection On Ice
When most people hear “Antarctica,” they think of ice, not flames.
Crinklaw said that is part of the point. “As far as I know, there isn’t really too much fire danger. They don’t even allow open flames on the station,” he said. “But having firefighters is more of a preventative measure. You want to be safe.”
In an environment where winter temperatures can fall well below zero, and winds can be extreme, a structure fire can quickly become a life-threatening emergency.
“Especially in an environment like that, if you have a dorm building or something burn down, there’s nowhere for people to go outside. You can’t just hang out,” Crinklaw said. “There’s not much wildland out there to burn,” he added.
Another major part of the job will take place on the ice runways that serve the station’s air operations. “That’s a big part of the gig,” he said. “There’s a lot of big aircraft coming in for an unusual runway.”
Crinklaw completed his Airport Firefighter Training on Feb. 6 in Jacksonville, Florida.
McMurdo Station swells to more than 1,000 people in the austral summer, making it Antarctica’s largest settlement, but the population drops sharply when winter sets in.
Crinklaw’s first stint will be during that quieter season. “There’ll be a total of 188 of us on the station winter,” he said. “About 25 to 50 of them will be firefighters.”
Despite its remote location, McMurdo functions in many ways like a small town: dorms, community spaces, shared dining, and a tight-knit winter crew. Crinklaw will live in one of the station’s dorm buildings.
The rhythms of life there will be different from those in Cloudcroft. “Their summer goes from October until about February, and then the winter is the rest of the time,” Crinklaw said. He will be on the winter shift, which includes a period when the sun never rises.
“Apparently, the winter it gets down to about minus 65 degrees once the sun sets,” he said.
Extreme Cold, Clear Skies
The United States and other nations operate in Antarctica under the Antarctic Treaty, which designates the continent for peaceful, scientific purposes.
“They do a lot of different scientific research there,” he said. “They study the geology, they study the ice cores, and the weather. It’s also a really good place for astronomy, with no light pollution. It’s a really good view of the stars.”
To cope with temperatures that can plunge far below those of a Cloudcroft cold snap, Crinklaw will receive specialized gear. “They do loan us some extreme cold weather gear, some nice fancy parkas and stuff like that to help you prepare for the cold,” he said.
Early Training and What’s Next
Crinklaw said his path to Antarctica runs straight through the Cloudcroft Volunteer Fire Department and EMS. He joined the department at 16 as a Junior Firefighter, sponsored by longtime volunteer Jubal Hall, and started running ambulance calls while still in high school.
“It’s given me a lot of time to learn and grow through it and come into my own,” he said. “I’m one of the instructors here for training now, so I feel pretty prepared. I mean, I wouldn’t be able to even have these certifications to apply for this job without what I’ve done here.”
Crinklaw has already logged one long trip abroad — a post-graduation loop through Europe that he credits with giving him “the vibe for traveling.” Antarctica will add a new continent to that list. Friends have told him that once he sets foot there, he will “have to go to all the continents.”
He views the McMurdo contract as both an adventure and a possible doorway. “You get that foot in the door, and who knows where it’ll lead you?” he said. “There are just so many different opportunities that could open up from it.”
For now, he is focused on the coming months, the long night, and the job ahead. “I’m very excited and a little bit terrified, but it’ll be fun,” he said.
Crinklaw grinned and said, “That’s kind of on brand for firefighters a little bit. Always looking for the next adventure.”
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What a great way to start the day... a cup of coffee and an excellent article about a top-notch young man from Cloudcroft!
Great story. And good luck!