🌲🎙️🥾🔥Episode #5
🔥Wildfire Season Special: Grit, Chainsaws, and the American Dream
"Don't be a Dickbag, listen to Smokey Bear, Put out your fires..."
The Go Wildly Podcast is what happens when two childhood friends & dirtbag adventure junkies and decide to bring a mic into the wilderness. We’re Emily & Heather...equal parts heart and chaos...pulling stories out of people like snacks from the bottom of a backpack. We hike. We float. We talk. And somehow, in between all the laughs and mosquito bites, something real always surfaces.
We take outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds into the woods & find out the common tread that lend them to make the outdoors more then just a hobby but a calling.
We're goofy. We’re deep. We’re a little unhinged. And we somehow bring that out in our guests too. Think campfire vibes meets podcast energy...with just enough weird to keep things interesting.
Together let’s GO WILDLY!
Today's Guest: Miguel Narvaez; Federal Hotshot Wildland Fire Fighter
In Episode 6, we hike straight into fire season with Miguel Narvaez— a Type 1 federal hotshot firefighter, sawyer, and living proof of what it means to chase the American dream with grit, guts, and a whole lot of smoke. Born in Mexico City, raised across the U.S., and now rooted in Southern Oregon, Miguel’s story is anything but ordinary.
From college athletics to cutting firelines with a chainsaw, Miguel walks us through the journey that led him west with $200 in his pocket and into the world of wildland fire. We talk about how he earned his citizenship, what it takes to become a hotshot, and why the fireline feels like home. He opens up about the physical and emotional toll of the job, the tight-knit crew culture, and what it’s like navigating this chapter of life as a seasoned firefighter.
This episode is a tribute to the people behind the flames — the ones holding the line, packing the saw, and finding purpose in the chaos.
🔥 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
🪓 Miguel’s road from Mexico City to the frontlines of wildfire
🇺🇸 How he earned his citizenship to follow his calling
🧭 The in-and-outs of wildland fire culture and what it really takes
🚒 The grind, grit, and purpose behind being a Type 1 Hotshot
🌲 The chapter of life Miguel’s navigating right now
🎒 Gear Rec from Miguel:
Logger Suspenders — A must for the wildland folks in your life. Rugged, local, and fireline-approved.
🔥 Shoutouts & Resources:
• Grassroots Wildland Firefighters — Advocating for better pay, classification, and well-being for federal wildland firefighters.
• Wildland Firefighter Foundation — Supporting firefighters and their families when tragedy strikes.
• Watch: Hotshot (Amazon Prime) — A solid documentary if you’re curious about what this world really looks like. (Fire Country… not so much, but yes, Miguel has watched every episode for the laugh.)
Connect With Miguel & Follow his journey
Instagram: @100migs
Filmed on Location:
Rogue River-Siskyou National Forest
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