He was frightened, but he was able to make it through the ordeal.

In Illinois there were reports of bad storms in central Wisconsin, but we knew nothing of the winds that went through the area. It wasnt until we went up to the camp for closing ceremonies that we learned about the tornado. Had I known I would have been a nervous wreck.

I can only imagine how the parents of the 17 Batavia boys who were first-time campers would have felt had they know there was a fire at the camp recently.

In June, Scouts from Troop 43 in Batavia were at Camp Freeland Leslie in Oxford, Wis. During dinner preparation, the camp alarm sounded, alerting all Scouts to head to a designated safe location at the flag ground.

As Troop 43 headed up the path, they encountered smoke from a fire and their way blocked. Soon camp workers appeared and told them that they needed their help fighting the brush fire near their camp site.

The fire department had been called but the fire was spreading.

Senior patrol leader Mike Hoefler immediately ordered the Scouts to get fire buckets and 5-gallon coolers from their camp site and he organized a bucket brigade, using the camp sites water spigot.

I remembered reading somewhere that a brigade was much more effective than just running and getting water, said Mike. I was a little worried about the younger Scouts but I knew we could do it if we worked together.

Mike was assisted by fellow patrol leaders Matthew Heronemous, Adam Scott, Adam Hutchinson and Casey Smith.

Troop 43 kept the bucket brigade going for a half-hour until the fire department arrived. Members of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the fire department commended the Scouts for stopping the fire from spreading.

The camp director, Bill Curtin, praised the troop for their willingness to pitch in: It was kind of the typical Scout response to an emergency, he said, citing their calmness during the crisis and their readiness to help. As a rule, Scouts are prepared.

The staffs prompt response and the cooperation of the campers prevented thousands of dollars in damages and the interruption of summer programs at CFL, Curtin wrote in a report about the incident.

Sadly, the officials determined the fire was probably started by a Scout, perhaps trying to earn his fire badge. Wood shavings and a cigarette lighter were found at the scene.

More than 200 campers were at the camp that week but Batavia Troop 43 was the only group that was asked to help contain the fire because of the proximity of the fire to their campsite.

These kids learn all of the proper safety procedures in Scouts and you hope they will know what to do when the time comes, said Mikes father, Dan Hoefler. I think all of the Scouts realized what could be accomplished by working together.

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Its great to know that our Scouts did the right thing and prevented a situation from getting out of control.