The Great Read: ‘It’s Just Us’: The Firefighter, His Son and a Treacherous Choice
For two decades, Luis Martinez has fought wildfires for the U.S. government. Now he’s facing down cancer, debt and the threat of separation from his 11-year-old.
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The Great Read

December 21, 2025, 10:00 a.m. Eastern time

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A man in a baseball cap standing outside a house, his arm around a boy wearing a jersey and a backpack.

Loren Elliott for The New York Times

‘It’s Just Us’: The Firefighter, His Son and a Treacherous Choice

For two decades, Luis Martinez has fought wildfires for the U.S. government. Now he’s facing down cancer, debt and the threat of separation from his 11-year-old.

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