It was hot. Really hot, the smoke was getting denser by the moment as the fire grew larger. It was getting darker. I couldn't see the flames any more from my position on the hose line but I could certainly feel the heat. "Here it comes," announced Todd Duke, the instructor leading my team into hell. All of a sudden the compartment lit up as a ball of flames raced across the overhead. The heat was intense. Two quick bursts from the nozzle, more darkness. The steam created made an evil hissing noise. I had just experienced my first flashover. I was beginning to wonder why I had chosen this line of work. Our instructor is telling us this is what we don't want to happen onboard our vessels. The overhead flashes over again. Two more bursts of water.