When It All Burns: Fighting Fire in a Transformed World

Synopsis

A hotshot firefighter&’s gripping firsthand account of a record-setting fire seasonEighteen of California&’s largest wildfires on record have burned in the past two decades. Scientists recently invented the term &“megafire&” to describe wildfires that behave in ways that would have been nearly impossible just a generation ago, burning through winter, exploding in the night, and devastating landscapes historically impervious to incendiary destruction.In When It All Burns, wildland firefighter and anthropologist Jordan Thomas recounts a single, brutal six-month fire season with the Los Padres Hotshots—the special forces of America&’s firefighters. Being a hotshot is among the most difficult jobs on earth. Thomas viscerally renders his crew&’s attempts to battle flames that are often too destructive to contain. He uncovers the hidden cultural history of megafires, revealing how humanity&’s symbiotic relationship with wildfire became a war—and what can be done to change it back. Thomas weaves ecology and the history of Indigenous peoples' oppression, federal forestry, and the growth of the fire industrial complex into a riveting narrative about a new phase in the climate crisis. It's an immersive story of community in the most perilous of circumstances, told with humor, humility, and affection.

Copyright:

2025

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

Book Size:

368 Pages

ISBN-13:

9780593544846

Related ISBNs:

9780593544822, 9798217021277, 9798217021284

Publisher:

Penguin Publishing Group

Date of Addition:

05/27/25

Copyrighted By:

Jordan Thomas

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Nonfiction, Biographies and Memoirs, Outdoors and Nature, Social Studies, Earth Sciences

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.