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On a recent evening at the Los Ranchos firehouse, time passed pretty much as expected. There were two medical calls dutifully attended to; a couple of the firefighters did physical training; paperwork was filled out; Daniel Lopez shot some hoops outside (above); a tasty spaghetti dinner was served. But then you hear about the pranks.

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On a recent evening at the Los Ranchos firehouse, time passed pretty much as expected. There were two medical calls dutifully attended to; a couple of the firefighters did physical training; paperwork was filled out; Daniel Lopez shot some hoops outside; a tasty spaghetti dinner was served.

But then you hear about the pranks.

"I've been getting him (another firefighter) back lately, but he doesn't know it's me. I filled his bed with beans," Daniel Barela says, then turns to past exploits.

"Whose clothes did I freeze?"

As it turns out, the firefighter's mind is endlessly creative. Favorite pranks include:

Wake a sleeping firefighter with a bladeless chain saw. (Be sure to tap him with it.)

Test the fire call tones while a colleague is showering.

Fill the fire marshal's hubcaps with rocks.

Produce a baby powder explosion in a firefighter's locker.

Polish a firefighter's helmet with Turtle Wax. (They are proud of well-worn helmets.)

Barela recalls watching "The Blair Witch Project" with an unsuspecting co-worker. As the film rolled, another firefighter set up bad omens like the ones in the movie near the victim's truck, then lured him outside with a call from his girlfriend. Scared pale, the unsuspecting victim rushed inside to get his "friends" to come look - as a conspirator removed all traces of the omens. When Barela and his victim went to the truck, the victim of the prank went pale again and would have nothing to do with watching the rest of the movie.

"Yeah, the practical jokes go on and on and on forever," Barela said. "To everyone here, this is an extension of family. . . . I guess that is why we get away with so much."