Madison Osborne sat comfortably aboard a flight to North Carolina. On the way to a family reunion, the Lake Forest Park native’s plane suddenly and inexplicably plummeted from the sky. As the vessel stabilized, an image was burned into Osborne’s head that has given her a fear of heights since that day.

Not anymore.

Osborne faced her fear head-on while participating in Camp Blaze, a firefighting training event for young women this week in Bellevue.

Osborne was set to repel down a four-story building at the Bellevue Fire Training Center as part of the training, and fear rose to the surface. But as she descended the wall step by step, a drizzle of tears streaming down her face, it was extinguished, replaced with a confident relief.

“I’m feeling really good about heights now,” said Osborne, the daughter of two Seattle firefighters. “It’s like I reached a breaking point.”

Minutes later, she strode up and down the rungs of the slightly wobbly 106-foot fire truck ladder to the encouragement of other campers, proudly shouting “I’m a winner,” when she reached the top.

Osborne is one of 24 girls from all over the nation who faced their fears, and pushed their physical and emotional limits. Camp Blaze, now 10 years old, seeks to help women explore a career in firefighting, one in which women are underrepresented, said cap founder Karen Kerr.

“It’s one of the best jobs in the world, why shouldn’t there be an opportunity for women?” said Kerr, who is a lieutenant in the San Francisco Fire Department.

The camp runs for one week, every other year. It began in 2001 when Kerr and others wanted to create a way for women to explore the path of firefighting. The camp shifts location based on sponsoring fire departments. Bellevue and North Bend hosted it for the first time this year. In past years it has hosted by Tacoma and Seattle. The success of the camp has led to several offshoots around the country.

During the week-long camp, the girls, ages 16-19, learned everything from how to use basic gear, the mechanics of the jaws of life and the physical challenges of climbing and repelling from structures. The crown jewel of the week, which happened Thursday and today are a car and tanker fire that forced the girls to put their newly-learned skills to the test in a pressure situation.

The girls bring a varying level of experience to the camp. Some, like Osborne, have the business in their blood, others are already on the career path and a few campers took it on as a personal challenge.

Amanda Cereza Alvarado, 17, came all the way from Tucson, Ariz. At barely 5 feet tall and slender, Alvarado is one of the smallest campers. She joined the camp after hearing about it from her high school principal. Her father always dreamt of being a firefighter and this opportunity gave Alvarado a chance to be a part of that.

Students at Camp Blaze learn how to use the “Jaws of Life” to free victims from a car.

For Alvarado, the hardest part wasn’t the physical challenges, such as pulling a 160-pound dummy out of harm’s way, but managing a dark building loaded with gear.

“People think I won’t be able to use as much strength as others, but I know my strength,” she said.

Alvarado is one of a number of campers from out of state. They hail from Colorado, California and Indiana, as well as nearby cities. Kerr said campers from all over the country submit essays to gain acceptance to the camp. The camp is funded through donations, though campers are asked to pay their own way to the Puget Sound area.

The students leave with a variety of lessons. Kerr preaches the confidence and skill-building of the camp. Others gain a direct path into a career.

Federal Way resident Morgan Sagdahl, 17, is already on her way to a job in firefighting. She’s spent the last two years as an explorer, following and assisting firefighters. Her father is a retired firefighter.

The camp, and the experience working with firefighters, has instilled plenty of confidence in the outgoing Sagdahl, who goes by the moniker “Big Dog.”

“You overcome a lot of fears,” she said.

Just a few feet away from Sagdahl, Osborne was finishing off one of hers. She dismounted the ladder to an eruption of cheers from her instructors and campers, followed by a seven-person group hug.

See more photos of Camp Blaze on staff photographer Chad Coleman’s blog, Focus Northwest.