Brian Ratty is the author of 11 books, with a focus on Northwest histories and tales.

In his latest novel, North Coast author Brian Ratty marries a fascination with Northwest history and wartime heroics to share a fictionalized glimpse into World War II-era forests, told through eyes of a young, courageous heroine.

Ratty, who spent time in Seaside during World War II and retired after many decades in Portland to Surf Pines, released his latest book, “Firewatcher,” in October.

The book alludes to the term “pineapples from the sky,” a phrase used to refer to Japanese fu-go balloon bombs during World War II. These incendiary balloon weapons were deployed in an effort to set fire to coastal forests, including in Oregon, in the hope of depleting a crucial U.S. military resource.

“Winds would blow the balloons to the West Coast, and when they came down inside the forests, they would ignite the forests,” Ratty said. “They knew the American government needed the wood for the war effort.” As a young child, Ratty remembers hearing his parents mentioning “pineapples from the sky.”

“Those were code words the locals used to say they understood what was going on in the forests,” he added.

A dangerous mission“Firewatcher” tells the story of Ruth Nelson, a young woman in the early 1940s whose desire to join the war effort compels her to lie about her age so she can join the fire-watchers — an ordinary, yet extraordinary, group of people who monitored and protected the Tillamook Forest.

“Ruth and fellow fire-watchers learn patience, courage and a willingness to endure lonely summer months in the woods, with only wild animals and solitude as their companions,” reads the book’s synopsis. “These were a special breed of brave men and women, who manned the tall lookout towers with binoculars, ingenuity and a healthy fear of smoke and lightning.”

History and fictionMost of Ratty’s 11 works of historical fiction revolve around the Northwest and its iconic landmarks and environments, from the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse and Fort Astoria to the Columbia River and British Columbia wilderness.

Coastal communities played a crucial role in World War II military efforts because of Kaiser Shipyards, one of the seven major shipbuilding yards in the U.S. at the time. Ratty’s father and grandfather were both civilian employees of the U.S. Navy and lived in Seaside during the war.

Ratty is a fan of oddities in history, strange occurrences. He describes “Firewatcher” as “about 80% historical,” as he touches on shipbuilding during wartime, navy blimps and wildfires — and describes the Tillamook Forest in great detail.

However, he also took some liberties. “It’s very hard to find first-hand, absolute, dead-truths of this little slice of World War II,” Ratty said.

As with many other characters in his books, Ruth — who comes from a Norwegian immigrant family in the Hebo area — is fictionalized but representative of people who have lived and worked on the North Coast.

“Firewatcher”

By Brian Ratty

210 pp — $15

Available in independent bookstores on the North Coast, including Beach Books in Seaside and Godfather’s Books in Astoria, and at museums, libraries and online

Ratty will talk about the book and its associated history at History & Hops, sponsored by the Seaside Museum and Historical Society, at 6 p.m. on Feb. 23