When it all burns : fighting fire in a transformed world / Jordan Thomas.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Thomas, Jordan (Anthropologist), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Wildfires--California--Prevention.

Wildfires.

Wildfires--Climatic factors--California.

Genre:

Informational works.

Instructional and educational works.

Autobiographies.

Physical Description:

x, 350 pages : map ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2025.

Summary:

"An anthropologist and hotshot firefighter's gripping firsthand account of a record-setting fire season. Eighteen 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 impossible just a generation ago, burning through winter, exploding in the night, and devastating landscapes historically impervious to incendiary destruction. Wildland firefighters must navigate these new scales of destruction in real time. In When It All Burns, 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. Their training is as grueling as any Navy SEAL's, and the social induction is even tougher. As 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. He investigates how a social system that prioritizes profit over people and nature has turned humanity's symbiotic relationship with wildfire into a war-and what can be done to change it back. Thomas weaves ecology and the history of indigenous oppression, federal forestry, and the growth of the fire industrial complex into an expansive, riveting narrative of a new phase in the climate crisis. Above all, he immerses readers in a story of friendship and community in the most perilous of circumstances, told with humor, humility, and affection"-- Provided by publisher.

"A hotshot firefighter's gripping account of a record-setting fire season. Eighteen 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, firefighter and anthropologist Jordan Thomas recounts a single, brutal six-month fire season navigating these new scales of destruction 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. Above all, he immerses readers in a story of community in the most perilous of circumstances, told with humor, humility, and affection" -- Jacket flap.

Contents:

Introduction

Part I : Training

Part II : Attack

Part III : Ruin

Part IV : Escalation

Part V : Regeneration

Afterword.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 327-350).

Local Notes:

Athenaeum copy: Burt fund bookplate.

Other Format:

Online version: Thomas, Jordan (Anthropologist) When it all burns

ISBN:

9780593544822

059354482X

OCLC:

1450434623