Vibrant green plants thrive in front of Joy Fire Studio, a metal shop in downtown Santa Ana. On a typical Saturday, sparks fly, and the smell of burning metal invades the senses inside the shop where Joy Fire, a business owner and instructor, brandishes a welding torch while donning in gloves, protective eyewear, a helmet, and flame-resistant clothing.

Although dangerous, Fire embraces the challenges of working with flame, electrical current and heated metal.

Growing up, 35-year-old Fire always loved art, but eventually gravitated toward the male-dominated field of welding.

“I always had a proclivity towards art, and thankfully for me, my parents fostered that. My idea of art was somewhat limited, though; the classic painting, drawing, sculpture trifecta,” said Fire. Unconvinced that she was good enough to excel in the traditional arts, she explored and eventually discovered bronze casting and jewelry-making.

While Fire was finishing her bachelor’s degree in studio art, she stumbled upon a blacksmith shop specializing in architectural ironwork. Eager to learn blacksmithing welding, she asked the owners if she could apprentice there, which led to her first job working with metal.

“I love everything about blacksmithing,” she said. “I love how it is dirty and hot and sweaty, and I love the problem-solving of making objects that function as needed while still adhering to good design.”

The 35-year-old followed her passion for metal fabrication welding — a method of joining metal pieces by heating them to a high temperature and hammering them together- led her into a graduate program at Claremont University where she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in 2022.

Fire’s designs are exhibited at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, where visitors can view “Artifact,” a series of battered steel bowls with uneven lips precariously balanced on branch-like wooden tripods, like offerings to the gods. They can also see her sculpture, “Fierce Women,” depicting a female face emerging out of a small hexagonal metal slab with a row of hands reaching eerily out from underneath it.

When Fire is not wearing her welding uniform, she resembles a rock singer with spiky black hair, a nose piercing, blue jeans, black boots and a camouflage rainbow jacket. She enjoys family time with her husband of seven years, Chris, and their two young children.

Fire’s role as a welding instructor at Orange Coast College, she believes she has the ability to connect with her students, especially women.

“Getting more women into this trade is a big conversation and most people in the industry are very much for it,” she continue. “I know just from my own observation that there are more women and non-binary people in my classes now than there were when I started,” Fire adds.

John Maxwell from the welding technology faculty at Orange Coast College says 4% of women are attending the welding trade this semester.

Marie Burcher, an advanced welding student, has studied under Professor Fire for the past two years at Orange Coast College. Under Fire’s tutelage, she learned tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, a gas metal arc welding method, and is now learning metal inert gas (MIG), which uses an electric arc to heat and join metal.

“I love [Joy] so much. I’m not sure what I was getting myself into taking her welding 100 class, but she just became a super solid and kind presence,” said Burcher. She aims to be a first-generation tradeswoman who inspires her family and other women to learn the welding trade.

Burcher’s goal is to combine TIG welding also know as gas tunstennarc welding that creates the metal being welded, into her automotive interests to start a horse trailer business which is a vehicle to transport horses. Burcher also shares that welding shows “how gritty we can be as ladies and how we can hold our own!”

Kaylan Rivera, another welding student of Fire’s, says she loves learning one on one welding work and is happy to be part of the instructor’s friendly crew.

“My instructor, Joy walks into the shop like a boss…she seems very confident and comfortable, like she’s done this ...from since she was born and it creates a very great atmosphere..she uplifts the morale..” says Rivera.

Fire says she wants her students to develop self confidence as blacksmiths and welders.

“I think seeing…the result of your physical labor at the end of the day…a weld that you made…really instills confidence…” Fire says. “I want all my students to be able to get that same excitement and fulfillment.”

Acknowledging her position in a field historically occupied by men, Fire adds, “I hope it helps…to see a variety of people…can be in this area of welding,there is space for everyone.” The 35-year old is thankful for the strong support she has received at Orange Coast College where, as one of the few woman welding instructor she received the same amount of opportunities as her peers.

“I did also receive support through my two pregnancies and following maternity leave, my boss and everyone I work with were very supportive of my needs and never made me feel bad for needing to take leave to be with my kids.”

Joy Fire’s commitment to cultivating diversity and equity in the field of blacksmithing is apparent in her leadership role in the Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths (SIB) where she serves on the Governance Board. The society’s mission is to foster the development of historically underrepresented metalsmiths while shrinking the social and economic barriers that hinder their participation.

In spite of the advancements in the field of welding, women have yet to be on par with men in STEM fields. Male-dominated industries often drive from historical, cultural and social influences. Traditional trade careers such as construction, carpentry, welding, and auto mechanics are sometimes linked to masculinity, resulting in limited representation of women. Many of these fields can also require long hours or irregular schedules, making it difficult for women who also manage family responsibilities ranging from caring for their children to looking after aging parents.

In the article Cities with the Most Women in Costruction 04/17/2025, Jonathan Jones analizes the upward trend. Before 2016, the number of women working in construction barely budged, with women making up approximately 9% of the workforce. Over the course of 10 years it changed little. Finally, in 2016 the number of women in construction jobs began to climb yearly. Reaching 11.1% in 2022. The increase reveals both the efforts industry undertook to address shortages in the workforce, along with diversity-focusing initiatives such as training programs and grants.

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Renae Sams, the founder and executive director of BUILD-HER.ORG which offers support for women in construction careers, says barriers still exist that obstruct women’s progress in the male-dominated industry.

“Construction is a viable career path for lots of women and will always be financially stable and in demand; more women should be open to working in that industry,” Sams says.

According to the Women in Construction week report 2025 key statistics on women in male-dominated industries have improved over time. Recent data shows an increase of 56,000 women in the construction industry from 2023 to 2024, amounting to 11.2% of the total workforce. In addition, “for women in trades such as plumbers, welders, sheet metal workers, and mechanics, it’s at 4%,” Sam says.

Joy Fire applauds the fact that gender rigid fields gender-rigid fields are opening doors to those who were historically left out. The blacksmithing community, she says, accepts “anyone who is passionate about blacksmithing and is kind to others.”

Fire and her team at the Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths believe that the craft will flourish as marginalized people such as women, People of color (POC) and LGBTQ communities and others are invited to bring their unique vision and creativity to the profession.