Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Hotshot Wake Up

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The Director of the Wildland Fire Service, Chief Brian Fennessy, started in his inaugural position just 9 months ago, but there is plenty to talk about. We chat about the busy wildfire season, the workforce, and what lies ahead.

We dive into budgets, unification, aviation, contracting, the differences between wildfire agency organizational structures, and the most capable and operationally sound wildfire workforce in the world: the wildland firefighters in the United States. What went well? What can be improved? What does the future of wildfire in the United States look like?

We cover it all.

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Frustrations have boiled over within the Forest Service as fire supervisors voice concerns about Agency direction, poor facilities, experienced firefighters leaving the ranks, and infighting with line officers.

Wildland firefighter entrapments have hit a 20 year record this season, raising further concern about experience levels in middle management. Unease remains about what the future will look like, and there is urgency to “rip the band-aid off” on plans for Agency change. I cover their concerns as they see it.

This is the time for professionals on all levels of the Agency to come together and solve these issues, which ultimately affect the boots on the ground the most. Sometimes voicing these concerns is what it takes for everyone to sit at the table and figure out how to move forward.

Change isn't simple, and this isn't an easy situation for anyone involved, but cooler heads must prevail.

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• Putting out wildfires is hard enough, but the constant tit for tat political grandstanding is wearing on the workforce. I express what I’ve been hearing from the boots on the ground. A classic rant.

• The Hawk Fire in Nevada announced a fatality this morning. A woman who sustained injuries during the initial day of the fire has passed away.

• The Nation remains at a PL5, and we are one lightning bust away from all out chaos again. Full operational update.

• BC wildfire says civilians are stealing their equipment used to protect homes. Alberta wildfire charged over the death of a wildland firefighter on the Jasper Fire.

• UTV rollover report. Passenger ejected at 30MPH.

• Plus more.

THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP — Thank you to all of our paid subscribers. Your support allows us to donate generously to firefighter charities and supports all of our content. You also receive all of our article archives, more podcast episodes, Monday morning workouts, and also entered into our giveaways, plus more.

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I sat down with Montana Senator Tim Sheehy to discuss the current wildfire situation across the American West. Congress recently held a bipartisan meeting to talk about the fires burning in multiple regions, the devastation in Spokane, Washington, and the need for wildland firefighter support.

I ask if this season will be a reckoning for the wildfire system, Congress, and the public, with the amount of fire currently on the ground and the tragic loss so far this year. What happens in these congressional wildfire meetings? Why does it always seem like things are delayed, or remain unchanged?

What can be done to better support the boots on the ground, and will we have wildfire amnesia again once the season comes to a close? The Senator addresses all these questions, and more. As you know, Senator Sheehy didn’t hold back. https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

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Today I welcome the Director of the United States Wildland Fire Service, Chief Brian Fennessy. As we all know, it’s been very busy up until this point, and there is lots to cover.

We discuss the unification of the Department of the Interior wildland firefighters and what that looks like moving forward. Who will do the landscape work? Do we have enough firefighters and resources?

We have a conversation about initial attack, full suppression, safety, and the current fire conditions on the ground. Chief Fennessy addresses the many misconceptions about how wildland firefighters operate, and how policy is based on current and expected conditions on the ground. Could the full suppression strategy change if conditions change? Of course.

We also dive into modernizing the workforce; this includes not only using new tech, but also updating the aging comms network and dispatch communication network.

Plenty to talk about.

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• The Great Basin moves to a PL5, and the Widemouth 2 Fire nears 100K acres. Full National wildfire update.

• A report about a line medic who made unconventional decisions that led to life-saving measures for a wildland firefighter in Idaho.

• Reports on the Coleman Creek entrapment in Oregon, the dozer burnover on the Kaiser Canyon Fire in Washington, the Dozer rollover on the Gann Fire in California, and the tender rollover in Idaho.

• Deputy Chief Sarah Fisher’s statement on the feasibility study to combine firefighters from the Forest Service into the USWFS.

• Update on the Seven Cabins Fire in New Mexico. As I reported in May, the airplane crash that started the fire happened inside a military GPS jamming testing zone. New details confirm that military operations likely brought down the plane.

• Full story of the fake paramedic on the Elk Fire in Colorado. It reads like a Tom Clancy novel.

• Plus more.

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• Full report released for the Lyons Ferry Fire burnover. Comprehensive report details firefighters trying to burn off around themselves before being overtaken by fire.

• Tens of thousands of acres of fuels treatment and wildfire mitigation projects were halted in Oregon due to environmental lawsuits. Groups sued Mt. Hood National Forest and the Forest Service, which stopped the fuel breaks and fuel reduction projects. Those same project areas are now totally burned.

• The USFS and USWFS released a timeline report for the Knowles Fire Entrapment in Colorado.

• France’s Interior Minister announced this week that they had arrested 162 wildfire arsonists in the last 25 days. France has now doubled the previous record for total acres burned.

• Alaska sends fire crews down to the lower 48.

• Full operational update.

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Today, Jon Freeman (USWFS) and Matt Lynde (USFS) join the show to discuss everything about wildfire aviation supervision and coordination, and, if you are interested, how to become one.

This is a big-picture job, and as they describe, the best job in the industry. As an aviation supervisor, you are basically a flying radio, or 7 radios… and it is a position that takes mental fortitude and operational clarity to keep the aviation dance going, get everyone what they need, and keep folks safe.

We also discuss the increasing danger of civilian drones over wildfires, which shut down aviation operations immediately. And lastly, what is the path an individual needs to take to achieve this in their career, the prerequisite qualifications, and classes needed.

Jon is currently working in Oregon, and Matt is headed back to California. It’ll be busy until winter.

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• Three wildfires have crossed the international border of Canada and Minnesota, and hundreds of thousands of acres have burned. 183 new starts across Ontario are expected to burn for weeks.

• Wildfire smoke will blanket the eastern United States as poor air quality records are already being set.

• More Minnesota fires merge as firefighters work to access the wilderness fires.

• Colorado, Utah, Oregon, and California are still seeing wildfire activity. Full operational update. Wildfire aircraft are now hard to come by, as demand for aviation resources continues to increase.

• Starting the morning campfire in spike camp. It’s easy, but hazardous. Burn injury report.

• Plus more.

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• New wildfires are popping up in the Pacific Northwest and California. Southern California moves to a Preparedness Level 3.

• A lot of progress is being made on wildfires across Colorado, Utah, and the Southwest as containment rises.

• Containment drops on the Gold Mountain Fire in Colorado as a civilian drone shuts down air resources while trying to catch spot fires.

• 12 fatalities, 8 injuries, and 36 missing on wildfires in Spain. Authorities say many of the deceased were foreigners who ignored evacuation routes and got caught out in the open.

• Chainsaw and burn injury updates.

• What is the Super El Niño going to bring with it?

• Full operational update.

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• A full operational update of all fires across the nation.

• Colorado fires expect extreme fire behavior again today. Red flag conditions continue across much of the Region.

• Progress is being made on most of the fires across Utah and the Southwest. A breakdown of year-to-date wildfire numbers in Utah compared to last year. Less fire, more acres.

• New Mexico reports the warmest start to a year ever on record.

• The Transportation Safety Board provided an update on the cause of the wildfire aviation accident in Canada.

• New study on what keeps people from evacuating a wildfire zone, and overall preparedness.

I have been looking for fundraisers for the three firefighters killed on the Knowles Fire in Colorado. Two are available for Emily Barker and Nicholas Hutcherson, and I am still looking to see if there is another for Sydney Watson or the two others injured.

Emily Barker Fundraiser

Nicholas Hutcherson Fundraiser

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• Colorado has declared a State of Emergency due to the wildfires actively burning across the State.

• The National Preparedness Level moves to 4.

• Updates from the USWFS and Forest Service on the burnover event on the Knowles Fire.

• Wildfires continue to make large runs across Utah. The Pocket Fire in Arizona increases to over 11,000 acres.

• A conversation about current wildfire conditions on the ground.

• Plus more.

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, along with the Department of the Interior, today announced new steps to reduce hazardous exposure for federal wildland firefighters. These actions include expanded access to N95 respirators on the fireline, required training, and standardized decontamination protocols, such as showers and Nomex cleaning.

There is also direction on reducing exposure to extended periods of mop-up.

I welcome Erin Phelps, Deputy Director of Risk Management with the Forest Service, to discuss everything in the release. Erin is no stranger to the fireline, working on engines, Hotshot crews, and as a rappeller before taking a more direct role in policy and management.

There is a lot to cover, and plenty of questions. Deputy Director Phelps helps answer those questions and provides all the details on what it will look like moving forward.

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The Hotshot Wake Up is 100% supported by the readers and listeners. Thank you.

• The National Preparedness Level increases to a PL3

• Wildfire bust across much of the West. Full operational update.

• Human remains found after the Upriver Fire in Spokane. Sheriff reports individuals refused to evacuate.

• Incendiary devices were found by Forest Service firefighters on a Colorado Fire. Also in Colorado, a helicopter lands after a fire in the cockpit while conducting bucket drops.

• State of emergency declared in Oregon and Washington.

• Idaho wildfire fund runs out of money.

• Reports on Rhabdo and burn injuries during the California prescribed burn.

• Watch Duty back up for Cal Fire personnel. Plus more.

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• Full operational update. New fires in Colorado, Utah, California, and the Southwest.

• The Forest Service has reinstated early retirement incentives as part of the reorganization plan. Both VERA and VSIP options are being offered.

• High level operators from the Forest Service have started to accept positions in the United States Wildland Fire Service leadership. What are the long term effects if unification doesn’t happen?

• Two civilian casualties after an engine responding to a wildfire collides with a civilian vehicle.

• Firefighters responding to an escaped slash pile burn in the Pacific Northwest were injured after the pile exploded.

• Plus more.

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Today, I talk to Derrick Holdstock, owner and operator of Western Fire Resources. Derrick has been very proactive in the contracting and wildfire world, recently returning from a trip to D.C.

Before he started Western Fire Resources, Derrick was a wildlife biologist who practiced prescribed fire and later served as the Regional Fire Coordinator for West Texas, covering one third of the state. He also worked as a biologist for the Bureau of Land Management before venturing into the contracting world.

Derrick is highly versed in everything related to wildfire and the industry. We talk about current issues in contracting, policy, starting a company, the stereotypes, and a lot more.

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• The Sandy Fire in California is an early season wake up for the State. Urban interface fires will only increase, and fuel mitigation is a major step that residents and the state need to take seriously.

• A conversation about the harsh reality of the changing conditions, the wildland urban interface, and the pre-fire work that needs to be done. The consequences of doing nothing are greater than people realize.

• Full nationwide wildfire update: The Seven Cabins Fire in New Mexico continues to grow. California, Minnesota, Colorado, and more. California Hotshot crews are starting to shotgun out to multiple incidents.

• The wildfires in the plains of America will have greater downstream effects than most understand. (cattle production and viable grazing lands)

• Researchers at Brown University studied a wildfire in Africa that burned at an elevation of 13,000 ft, the highest wildfire in Africa in 12,000 years.

• Greece launches the first ever national wildfire satellite array. The system was brought into orbit by SpaceX.

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• Full operational update.

• Hotshot crews are still having issues securing the vehicles they need to operate at the level they are being asked to.

• Reports of dozens of Type 3 Engines that remain unstaffed.

• Canada cancels $106M wildfire satellite contract with American company. Trade war actions leaking into wildfire?

• Wildfire aviation fuel costs are on the rise, and concerns from wildfire CEO’s about a shortage.

• A rant about the irony of all the problems in wildland fire, including mental health, staffing, physical health, and the old trope of “make it work,” doesn’t help with these issues.

• Plus more.

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• Full wildfire update

• Fires in Georgia, Florida, New Mexico, and Montana

• USDA Secretary Rollins provides the 2026 wildfire secretarial memo.

• It covers priorities for the 2026 fire season and directives for the Forest Service moving forward.

• I go over the priorities, including initial attack, surge capacity, secondary fire positions, fuels work, prescribed fire, and more.

• Senators sent a letter this week to the USDA demanding answers about the Forest Service reorganization. There are some very valid questions about R&D, clarifications on office locations, and employee duty stations.

• I cover all that and more.

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• Full operational update of all wildfires.

• The causes of the Georgia wildfires have been announced: the Highway 82 fire was caused by a birthday balloon, and the other by someone welding.

• There was a firefighter who died after responding to a Florida fire. Updates from Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, and the Southwest fires.

• Definitely keep an eye on the Hummingbird Fire in the Gila Wilderness, and an interesting fire.

• The Bear Jaw Crew in Arizona has disbanded after 2+ decades. New Mexico continues to work towards two new Hotshot Crews.

• A conversation about standing up a new Hotshot crew and maintaining quals.

• Japan has its 3rd largest wildfire in its history, and Canada sees multiple fires in BC.

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I cover the wildfire technology summits I attended in both Nevada and Boise. I sit down with Chief Mark Niemeyer to discuss what the Western Fire Chiefs Association is doing to bring together Agencies, wildland firefighters, and technology companies to facilitate a proactive approach to tech adoption in the wildfire world.

They are taking a four-phase approach to address the following strategic mission outcomes developed in the Phase 1 Summit with Agency leadership.

• Interagency coordination and common operating picture

• Strategic planning, funding, and workforce development

• Cultural shift to proactive wildfire management

• Technology and data integration for intelligence

• Community and landscape resilience and hardening

• Post-fire recovery and adaptation

The next phase will take place in Salt Lake City in October. If you want to know where the wildfire tech revolution is headed, this is well worth the listen.

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Today, the Forest Service officially announced its reorganization plans. I interviewed Deputy Chief of Fire and Aviation Management, Sarah Fisher, and Associate Chief of the Forest Service, Chris French, to get the details of the plan.

There is a lot that is taking place, including the relocation of the Forest Service headquarters, and Research and Development will be moved as well. They are moving away from their Regional model and will transition to a more state-based model.

This reorganization will take place in phases, and all Regional Offices will be closed. Some will be repurposed, including Juneau, Alaska, Vallejo, California, and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Wildfire operations will continue to operate mostly as is, and Sarah Fisher provides those details as well.

I thank the Deputy Chief and the Associate Chief for their time in explaining this process to the listeners.

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• It was revealed in court documents this week that a helicopter pilot tried to take down a hobby drone over a wildfire with bucket drops. The pilot was between drops, protecting homes, when he spotted the drone.

• The judge in the case fined the drone operator $5K, well below the recommended amount, set forth in the Wildfire Act. The drone pilot argued he didn’t know firefighters and pilots were engaged in the massive inferno.

• A conversation about the growing issue of hobby drones over wildfires, and the lengths firefighters and pilots are forced to take to mitigate them.

• Forest Service Chief Schultz sends out a memo declaring an end to red tape and cumbersome mandates, and putting decision-making back in the hands of operators on the ground.

• Europe launches new wildfire center and is working to expand funding for mitigation, aviation, and training. Huge wildfire aviation conference in Rome.

• California HOA sues homeowners for $23,000 and tries to foreclose on properties burned down in the Eaton Fire.

• A full operational update and a rant.

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• As we head into crews coming on, a conversation about pre-season jitters.

• I talk about how I and others trained for the season, the first day on a Hotshot crew, and what was expected versus the reality. The jitters are normal; it means you care.

• A Minnesota woman was fined $150,000 for not calling in a wildfire that started on her property. The MN DNR doesn’t usually fine large amounts, maybe this is their way of setting an example? Full story.

• Fires are popping up across the western United States. Multiple new starts in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, and New Mexico.

• Full Operational Update as we increase to a PL2.

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• Wildfires in Nebraska have burned nearly 700,000 acres this week, with the Morrill Fire now the largest in the State’s history. Full update.

• South Dakota got a wake-up call with the Qury Fire, now 7,200 acres. The fire’s management has already expressed a shortage of aviation resources due to the ongoing fires in Nebraska.

• The Southwest is expecting a critical fire weather event pushing in early this week, with temperatures above 100 degrees. Fire managers and Incident Management Teams are prepping for a possible wildfire outbreak.

• Elected officials in Colorado sent a letter to Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz, asking for more prescribed burns and forest mitigation work due to concerns over record-low snowpacks. But asking Agencies and Firefighters to put more fire on the ground in these conditions is a big ask… and still no hazard pay for these increasingly hazardous operations. A full discussion on this.

• When do you declare an escaped burn a wildfire? A new report from the Klamath National Forest.

• Plus more.

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Sam Forstag joins the show today to talk about his time as a wildland firefighter and Smokejumper, before deciding to enter a different arena, running for a congressional seat in Montana. Sam has been a longtime advocate for the wildfire workforce, working as Vice President of his union’s local.

We talk wildfire issues, wildfire costs, housing costs, public lands, and a litany of other topics. Sam has been traveling throughout Montana for the last month in anticipation of the June 2nd Primary.

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A new study on Meals Ready To Eat, MREs, was done by the organazation Mom’s Across America. These meals are carried and eaten by wildland firefighters across America. I’ve eaten hundreds, if not thousands, of them. Mom’s Across America provided 24 different MRE items to 3rd-party independent laboratories for testing. The results… much worse than you could imagine.

Some items contained 17,300% the safe aluminum levels, very high levels of lead and mercury in certain drink powders, apples with 27 pesticides, some of which are banned. They found levels of Trenbolone manufactured in China in food items, a very strong anabolic steroid with horrific side effects.

I cover the entire study and the items they tested. They now warn of severe health issues from bioaccumulation of these chemicals, including cancers, birth defects, in utero defects, androgenizing females, and violent tendencies.

They offer solutions to change this food system and lay out the minimal costs required.

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Authorities in Chile have arrested four suspects in connection with the current wildfires that have destroyed entire towns and led to 21 confirmed fatalities. One of the fires was said to have been started in a Eucaliptis grove, an industrial timber farm.

The timber industry in Chile is massive, and timber products are the 2nd largest export for the country. There has been long standing tension between the indigenous populations and the current government over these large timber operations. Both sides have been using the wildfire narrative as a form of protest and as a reason for a crackdown.

Zeke Lunder joins me for a conversation about these recent fires and the history behind these long time tensions. It’s not a cut and dry issue, and there is a lot to discuss.

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• A House committee votes today on whether it should study the effects of drone incursions over wildfires. If passed, they will come up with mitigation solutions, including using force to bring the drones down, wildfire anti-drone radio towers, and using “net guns.”

• CAL FIRE has started testing of fully autonomous wildfire vehicles. Tests include supply drops, repeater use, surveillance, suppression, and drone launching platforms.

• A new study on women who are pregnant and the effects of wildfire smoke. 200,000 women were a part of the study.

• Nevada allows insurance companies to remove wildfire insurance from homeowner polices.

• The Red Cross is preparing for an abnormally busy spring fire season.

• BLM releases report on 38-mile-long fuel break on the U.S.-Mexican border.

• Oregon lawmakers introduce legislation that would require insurance companies to provide rate discounts if communities and homeowners complete project work.

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The Secretary of the Interior officially announced today the creation of the United States Wildland Fire Service. Effective today, the transition period begins, and the unification of wildfire resources within the Department starts.

The Department provided transition plans, framework, and authorities of the new Service, which I cover in full.

Unification of assets, budgets, IT services, and payroll is underway, along with streamlining overhead structures and fully aligning pay structure, position descriptions, and retirement benefits.

A big day for the new United States Wildfire Service.

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It’s one year after the deadly Palisades Fire. What have we learned from this horrible event, and more importantly, what can we do to prevent it from happening again?

It’s clear that major mistakes were made, some long before the fire even started. It’s never been more important to let the operators on the ground operate, without having their hands tied by bad policy and poor decisions.

What needs to change? Will we see that change?

Also, nearly all Western states saw record-breaking temperatures in December, setting the stage for a very receptive fire environment this spring.

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• Yesterday, USDA Leadership announced plans to move the Forest Service leadership and senior staff from D.C. to Salt Lake City.

• This is part of the reorganization plan, which will phase out the 9 Regions and create five hubs. This still all hinges on Congressional approval.

• Senators penned a letter to Forest Service Chief Schultz requesting clarification on hiring numbers, staffing, prescribed burns, and fuel mitigation numbers.

• They have nine specific points they want answered by December 12th of this year.

• The inaugural Director of the USWFS.

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Today, Sam Davis, CEO of Bridger Aerospace, joins the show to talk about the 2025 wildfire season, the expansion of the company into Spain, what Bridger has planned for the future, and more.

Sam joined the company in 2019 and took the helm after founder Sen. Tim Sheehy stepped down to run for U.S. Senate.

We also get into the future of wildfire tech, the new United States Wildland Fire Service, dealing with rising drone incursions, and where wildfire aviation is going as a whole.

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A very Happy Thanksgiving episode for the wildland firefighter community and their families. There is plenty to be thankful for today, including doing a job you love with the kickass people you work with, in our nation’s most beautiful landscapes.

A fun conversation about it all.

I also cover the Oregon fire season. More fires, fewer acres, and the $10 billion price tag for prescribed fire and project work. Plus, the new Department of the Interior push to provide greater access to our National Parks for Americans and their families.

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• Montana had a near record slow wildfire season, but it was one of their most expensive. Why?

• The Windy Rock Fire played a big role, a Team Fire in a wilderness study area that cost $56M in initial reports. Environmental groups in the State are questioning forest management, suppression, prescribed fire, and project costs, saying new studies show the forests are not as overgrown and unhealthy as reported, but also have concerns about wildfire smoke. Thanks to the Daily Montanan for the shoutout on my reporting.

• During a mobile attack in Texas, a crew member broke their arm while operating the hose from inside the cab. Full report.

• A very detailed report came out on the double leg fracture and subsequent rescue operation that took place in Montana during a wildfire jump operation.

• A full breakdown of that report.

• Operational update.

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Today, I cover the 2025 wildfire season by the numbers and compare them to last year.

• Total Fires (nationally and by region)

• Acres Burned (nationally and by region)

• Crew Orders

• Aircraft Orders

• Flight Hours

• UTFs

• Cancelations

• Drone Incursions, And More.

I also cover the LEAF Act, which was introduced to ensure local contractors receive a least 26% of contracts for project work, and a conversation about the AI push in wildfire.

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The Senate Committee on Aging held a hearing today in California to let residents testify on their experiences before, during, and after the Palisades fire.

The hearing was conducted by Senator Scott of Florida and Senator Johnson of Wisconsin. Multiple people spoke about the day their homes were lost and what they believe led to the issues they had before and after the fire, including the lack of fuel reduction, prescribed burning, water issues, the response, rebuild permit fees up to $100,000, and insurance policies being canceled.

One witness was a 94-year-old woman who survived three concentration camps, and said her home was lost, and now her family is unable to rebuild.

So much covered in this meeting, which I break down.

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• As we enter the longest government shutdown in history, some Forest Service Employees are now being asked to come into work without pay.

• Major vacancies in high-level wildfire positions persist, as the Agency tries to fill critical positions internally.

• PacifiCorp Power in Oregon says they are facing liquidity issues as wildfire lawsuits reach $55 BILLION. The downstream effects are starting to show their ugly face.

• Another private wildfire company raised $48 million just days ago. I cover their business and who they are.

• This brings the total venture capital raised by private wildfire companies to $108 million in just the last week.

• A well-intentioned and justified rant.

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• Shutdown pay funding update for the USFS and DOI. DOI has a longer runway of funding for wildfire resources, and the USFS is looking for a funding extension.

• We have reached the important date for the unification planning phase of the new USWFS, and the search for the new National USWFS Chief continues.

• Updates on all of those things.

• Time to check in on yourself and others after a long season.

• The crazy story behind the Ninetyeight Fire Incident. Hotshots thrown from boats, broken pelvis, ribs, punctured organs, people impaled and tossed in rivers, all while in the Alaska wilderness.

• A story that reads like a Hollywood movie.

• Plus more.

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• Today, I cover all the wildfire activity across the nation and updates on incidents happening on wildfires. The PNW and California remain the hotspots, with lingering fires in Montana and Idaho.

• There was a dozer rollover in Washington, an engine rollover in California, and an update on the tree strike involving a hotshot crew in Oregon.

• A story about ingenuity and fast thinking on a wildfire when the unexpected happens.

• A Canadian wildland firefighter’s take on not only what it’s like to fight fire as a career with a family, but also making the hard decision to move up or move on.

• A conversation about life and perspective.

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The question on the minds of many agency leaders and supervisors is how to build and train the new generation of wildland firefighters. Well, that’s just what firefighter and teacher Bryan Kerns is doing with his wildfire program, earning him the 2025 Tennessee teacher of the year.

Bryan Kerns is the Fire Science teacher at Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, TN. Bryan has been in wildland fire since 2003 and brought his wildland fire experience into the classroom in 2019. What started as an after school club known as The Pulaski Club in 2019 has now grown into a full progression of Fire Science courses, complete with one of the nation's, if not the only, high school Prescribed Burn Team. Bryan has over 30 young men and women from his program now working in wildfire and EMS.

Bryan will travel to D.C. soon to discuss expanding this program nationwide.

Contact: bkerns@k12k.com

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OroraTech is a wildfire technology company that provides satellite detection, monitoring, fire spread modeling, and post-fire recovery data for wildfire managers. They recently signed a deal with the State of Idaho to provide these services statewide.

CEO Martin Langer joins the show from Munich, Germany, to discuss their technology in the wildfire world and more. We explore the company's genesis, starting as a university project that has drastically expanded, a conversation about how the tech works, the process of getting satellites into space, venture capital in wildfire, and more.

We also discuss the future of wildfire tech, including its potential for success and areas where it may fail. A conversation with great insight into this part of the industry.

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Today, I welcome the Fire Chief of the Angeles National Forest, Robert Garcia. Chief Garcia started his career as a seasonal firefighter, moved to working on Hotshot crews, became the Superintendent of Little Tujunga Hotshots, and rose to the position of Fire Chief.

The Angeles National Forest is home to five Hotshot Crews, helitack crews, engines, and more. Today, we discuss his career, the importance of supporting the workforce amid changing times, the crucial subject of wildfire culture of all wildfire resources, and what that looks like moving towards a National Wildfire Service.

We also dive into the challenges seen in the California wildfire environment. Prescribed fire, fuels work, working with state and local partners, and more. An incredible conversation.

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Today, I welcome Fire Captain Robert Sepulveda Jr. to discuss the world of REMS. Robert is a Captain for Pasadena Fire and joined the FIRESCOPE Technical Search and Rescue Specialist Group in 2020 and is Chair of the Rapid Extraction Module Support Subcommittee.

Robert is certified as a Regional Task Force Leader, Technical Search Specialist, Search Manager, Rescue Manager, Assistant Safety Officer, Swift Water Rescue Technician, and Tool and Equipment Specialist. He helped develop the new NWCG qualification requirements for REMS Teams and is the Coordinator for the Urban Search and Rescue Regional Task Force 4.

We discuss everything REMS-related, the development of the PMS 552 form, concerns folks have, including the new NWCG requirements, as well as where REMS is going in the future.

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Today, I’m joined by Gabriel Mann, Director of Hotshot, to discuss the new allegations brought by a lawsuit in California yesterday regarding the events surrounding the Palisades Fire.

These new allegations point the finger at the State of California and the water utility for their role in the Palisades Fire disaster. The lawsuit alleges that utility lines were not actually deenergized as initially claimed, possible attempts to alter records after the fact, neglect of the reservoir, attempts to save face while the fire was burning, infrastructure improvements stopped due to environmental concerns, as well as mismanagement of State lands around the community.

This development has massive repercussions, as the total financial cost of this fire has been estimated at over $100 billion.

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Six months ago, the Palisades and Eaton Fires rolled across communities in southern California, and the official cause of the Palisades Fire is yet to be confirmed. Work by the Washington Post and others suggests that the Lachman Fire may have rekindled, which began on New Year's Eve from fireworks in the same area.

Brianna Sacks, a disaster reporter for The Washington Post, had to help her father evacuate from the Pacific Palisades the day the fire rolled through that community. We discuss what it was like on the day of the fire, the potential cause, the struggles to rebuild, and the overall sense of the community afterwards.

Since then, she and others have worked to pinpoint the cause of that fire, which remains officially undetermined. The Washington Post points to the Lachman Fire, a smaller fire that started days before the Palisades Fire became a massive urban conflagration.

We cover all of this and much more.

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Today, I welcome San Bernardino County Fire Chief Dan Munsey to discuss what he believes are the four biggest lies in the wildfire industry, and what the actual truths are behind those lies.

The Four Lies the Chief Addresses:

1. There is a large wildfire crisis. (Truth: We have a land management crisis.)

2. There is a fire insurance crisis. (Truth: We have a crisis of homes burning down.)

3. The Palisades and Eaton Fires were very destructive “wildfires.” (Truth: These were urban conflagrations with a small wildfire component.)

4. There is a wildfire technology crisis. (Truth: There is a wildfire technology adoption crisis.)

We then discuss the leadership of the new wildfire agency, the reality of moving forward with it, and I ask him if California can realistically achieve success with its wildfire land management under the new “Make America Rake Again” campaign.

Chief Munsey oversees the largest fire protection district in the Nation, spanning almost 20,000 square miles and serving a population of nearly two million. The Chief has testified before Congress multiple times, advocating for better wages, improved technology adoption, and the maintenance of trails and forest roads to help wildland firefighters access wildfires.

In addition to Chief Munsey’s service to San Bernardino County, he is a past chair of the California Fire Chiefs Association Operations Section and has served since 2019 as the chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Technology Council. He is a director on the FIRESCOPE board of directors, the vice-president of the California Metro Fire Chiefs Association, and the vice-president of the San Bernardino County Fire Chief’s Association.

Chief Munsey believes strongly in collaboration with allied stakeholders that results in synergy to achieve better public safety outcomes. Of particular interest is emerging technologies and the efficiencies it brings to public safety.

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• 20-year-old Wess Roley has been named as the shooter in the Idaho Wildfire ambush that took place yesterday in Hayden, Idaho.

• New details have emerged about the suspect, which I cover.

• He allegedly has a past criminal record and mental health issues.

• Today, we remember the Granite Mountain Hotshots and the Yarnell Fire. I give my thoughts about being on a wildfire when this news was announced to our crew.

• Full operational update.

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• The press conference has just finished, with new details on the incident.

• Two firefighter deaths were confirmed by the local sheriff, FBI en route, and SWAT on scene.

• Law enforcement says they are still actively taking fire from an unknown number of “well-prepared suspects.”

• The sheriff and firefighters responding called it an “intentional fire and ambush.”

• I cover the initial call and radio traffic leading up to the shooting.

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• The public land sale proposal has been removed from the budget bill.

• Sen. Mike Lee said this morning that he may reintroduce the proposal, but will remove the sale of Forest Service land and significantly reduce the amount of Bureau of Land Management Land available for sale.

• A firefighter received second-degree burns to the hands, arms, and face on the Conner Fire in Nevada.

• Dani Shedden, mental health counselor and owner of Close the Gap Wellness, joins for an interview about Mental Health in the wildfire workforce.

• We discuss current uncertainty in the industry, the importance and safety of focusing on the operational mission, and finding a positive outlook in your work.

• Plus an operational update.

THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP — Thank you to all of our paid subscribers. Your support allows us to donate generously to firefighter charities and supports all of our content. You also receive all of our article archives, more podcast episodes, Monday morning workouts, and also entered into our giveaways, plus more.