What started as a relaxing vacation in Cabo San Lucas turned into a familiar scene for a longtime Plano firefighter. Plano Fire Rescue Captain Chris Patterson was driving back to his condo while taking time off last week in Cabo when he noticed a man stomping around in a smoky field. Rather th an continue on his way, Patterson jumped in to help fight the brush fire. “We found two old buckets and started grabbing sand from the arroyo to start putting out the fire along the edge until the fire department arrived,” Patterson said. Two other people also stopped to assist. After the flames were brought under control, Patterson struck up a conversation with the man he helped and soon learned the man was a retired firefighter from Mexico. Patterson told him that he was a firefighter from Texas, and when local crews arrived, the retired firefighter introduced him to the officer in charge. The firefighters exchanged stories and took a photo together, with Patterson even touring the fire station in downtown Cabo before he left. Patterson has been with Plano Fire-Rescue for more than 28 years and serves as a captain at Station 13, the department’s wildland station on the west side of the city. That means his expertise happens to be brushfires, which put him at the right place at the right time in Mexico. Firefighters at Station 13 operate specialized brush trucks that are deployed to wildfires and brush fires across North Texas and the state. Over the course of his career, Patterson has been deployed numerous times to major wildfires throughout Texas and beyond. As for his time off work, Patterson said he enjoyed his trip. “Yes, we had an awesome vacation,” he told NBC 5. “It was great to get away for a while. And no, neither one of us is currently seeking employment with the fire department in Cabo.” ...read more read less