DAVIS COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) – Fighting fires is a natural part of being a Utah firefighter, but two firefighters in Davis County couldn’t fight the flames of love.
What began as rushing out to reports of fires together, quickly turned into lighting each other’s fire. They shared with ABC4 News how they met and fell in love, in this edition of Behind the Badge.
Firefighters Rhiannon Kelley and Joshua Brimhall with South Davis Metro Fire said becoming a couple almost happened on its own. Kelley said it was Brimhall who made the first move, but he claimed the relationship just sort of “happened.”
The pair first met working at So. Davis Metro Fire Station #85 in North Salt Lake. Kelley was just out of the fire academy in 2021 and assigned to work on Brimhall’s crew.
“Well, at first I was really intimidated by him, but I was intimidated by everybody because I was so new,” said Kelley.
The two became friends at work, then friends outside of work, and quickly realized their feelings were heating up.
“There were only a couple weeks I was a little bit on the fence. Like, this is getting a little too close to the heart,” said Brimhall.
“We’re fighting the idea pretty hard,” said Kelley.
Once the sparks started to fly, it became hard to hide. The rest of the firehouse saw what the two were cooking. Brimhall told ABC4 that their fellow firefighters were excited about the relationship.
“They’re all my brother, so they were all pretty stoked,” said Brimhall.
Officially a couple since 2022, the two now share a townhome together with their dog Wallie. They both said what started as an easy connection has grown into a deep love.
“I love how strong she is, mentally, like obviously, very physically strong, it takes a lot to do this job,” said Brimhall. Meanwhile, Kelley said it was everything about Brimhall that she loved.
Whether it’s in the kitchen, relaxing outside, or out fighting a fire they love being together. With Valentine’s Day coming up, the two said they have big plans.
“Working…,” they said.
Each considers the other their perfect match, helping the other burn bright.
One thing that’s changed from when they first met is they don’t work at the same firehouse anymore. He’s in Bountiful and she’s in North Salt Lake. They still run into each other occasionally at work, but it makes it easier not to fight their feelings when they’re out fighting fires.
