This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

These girls know the sky's the limit when it comes to what they can be when they grow up.

Just one option: firefighter.

And Camp Athena on Saturday helped them realized their dream. Under the supervision of Salt Lake City firefighters, the group of 15 teenage girls learned how to fight fires ­­— extinguishing flames in a living room and a car.

Professionals also trained the teenagers how to wear and take care of gear.

The daylong training camp, held at the department's training tower, is part of an outreach program that encourages young women and girls to explore firefighting as a career option. The exercises are meant to show both genders that females are physically and mentally strong enough to handle the job, Salt Lake City fire department spokeswoman Audra Sorensen said.

"A lot of women and men still believe there are careers that are off limits or not as well suited, and I think that this exercise is to show that that is absolutely not true," Sorensen said.

The teens were fitted with all the standard firefighting gear — helmets to boots — and firefighters talked about carcinogens and other risks involved with the job.

Firefighters explained different tactics and techniques to firefighting in various scenarios and how to analyze flame patterns and how quickly some materials burn.

The training tower offers three firefighting scenarios — a car, a living room and a house structure. Firefighters set two ablaze and then the girls got to work.

"It's a very unique approach to empowering women in careers that they wouldn't traditionally think about," Sorensen said.

Twitter: @tiffany_mf