A relaxing hike in Chittenden Saturday afternoon took a crazy turn, but thanks to more than three dozen people who stepped up, a potential wildfire was averted.

Here’s how it started:

My husband Seth and I were slowly making our way up to North Pond with our dog Gusto, savoring Saturday's warm weather and the autumn scenery. We live in Chittenden and have hiked this particular trail many times before. My husband even camped at North Pond with our daughters when they were little.

The trek to the water follows a steep snowmobile trail that cuts through the Green Mountain National Forest between Chittenden and Pittsfield. It’s part of the Telephone Gap area and not far from the Chittenden Reservoir.

As we climbed up to the rustic, high-elevation pond, the dry conditions were evident in

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