On Today’s Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Canada sees multiple holdover fires rekindle. Multiple communities evacuated as the fires jumped rivers and highways. An estimated 500k acres burned this week. The Southwest starts bringing in IMTs to fires. The Toyo Fire in Arizona prompts a CIMT order with multiple Hotshot crews. Region 3 starting to pick up in activity. Washington State announced this week that during fire weather, residents should expect their...

On today’s show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Outside Magazine pushes a year-round and nationwide campfire ban as a “symbolic” way to stop human-caused starts. Should we ban campfires nationwide? Don’t Forests already have restriction policies in place? Power lines, railroads, vehicles, and large debris burns cause more fires than camp fires. An April burn over and entrapment in North Carolina. Oregon residents sue PacifiCorp Power for $30B over the 2020...

On today’s show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Operational update. A longtime and beloved firefighter in Montana dies during a pack test. A shock to the Montana firefighting community. Canada calls in their National Security Investigation Team after pipeline explosion causes wildlife in Alberta. Past cyber attacks have shown vulnerability to these systems. After pulling the contract to environmentally safe retardant this month, I cover the 2021 study saying this...

On Today’s Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Two years after the Hermits Peak\Calf Canyon Fire, the FEMA director in charge of the $4 Billion in relief funds has resigned. The HPCC Fire, caused by 2 separate Forest Service prescribed burns, became the largest, most expensive, and most destructive fire in history. Lawyers for the communities say the Agency copied and pasted relief documents from a fire back in 2000, causing even more delays and rejected claims. ...

On Today’s Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Subscribe now After a mayday call went out on the Oklahoma fire yesterday, we learned this morning that 2 firefighters were burned. The fire started as a “controlled burn” before 55MPH winds caused it to blow up. Colorado learns that Red Flag days now mean your power gets shut off. What’s the solution? Also, Fortress Retardant loses USFS contract after new environmentally friendly retardant is found to eat the...

On Today’s Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Full Operational Update. Virginia and West Virginia order multiple Teams. Multiple Complexes established. Governor puts out an emergency response. Southern Area at PL3. Washington State scraps its Wildfire Risk Maps. Says their unreliable and need to be redone. However, defensible space requirements are thrown out because environmentalists say it removes too many trees. I cover the lobbyists behind this Bill and...

On Today’s Show: To Subscribe: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ The Eldorado Fire was started by a gender reveal party in California. This week the couple involved was charged in the death of a Big Bear Hotshot squadie. Charlie Morton was working the Eldorado Fire when the fire overran his position. A look at the upcoming Spring fire season. Bureau of Land Management gets $50M to retrofit existing trucks into Type 6 engines. Update on the WFPPA stuck in committee...

On today’s show: {to subscribe:} https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Wildfires in Chile claim the lives of 64 people. Thousands are out of their homes, and hundreds are still missing. Four fires started “simultaneously,” according to the President of Chile and Governor of Valparaiso. “Possibly coordinated,” and an investigation is underway. I also cover the payments coming for residents of Lahaina. Payments are available on March 1st if you drop all legal claims. ...

On Today’s Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ The story of the Beachie Creek Fire in Oregon. Multiple lawsuits on how the fire was handled by the Forest and $1B demanded from the power company. MIST tactics V.S. full suppression. Safety V.S. engaging. What’s the cost in the end? PG&E come to a settlement on the Dixie Fire trial. Did PG&E just pay itself as a result? Where does the money actually go? Plus more. THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP - Thank you to all...

On today’s show: To Subscribe: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ The FBI and DOJ indict two wildfire contract companies for bid rigging wildfire contracts. Wiretaps led to evidence of collusion, territorial monopolies, and running the competition out of business. The shady world of wildfire contracts. I cover the story of three Hotshots running ultra marathons in the off-season. Mental toughness and high cardio endurance give them an edge in competitions. How...

To Subscribe: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ On today’s show: Tim Sheehy, founder and CEO of Bridger Aerospace, joins me to discuss the current state of wildland fire, firefighter compensation, the bureaucratic struggles with policy and contracts, and his new book, Mudslingers. Tim takes us through his journey from a Navy Seal to building Bridger Aerospace out of a barn in a Montana valley. A great conversation. The book is currently available here, and 100% of the proceeds go to...

On today’s show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ We discuss the slowly reemerging policy of “put everything out” that has crept back into both the political realm and the tech side of the wildfire industry. A policy that clearly didn’t work. We talk about the importance of bringing operational and field-capable people into these discussions and how pivotal it is to support the base layer of the entire system, our wildland firefighters. Kelly is a former Hotshot, (ret) Chief of...

To subscribe: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ On Today’s show, I welcome Contra Costa County Fire Captain and Tablet Command Co-founder Andy Bozzo. We discuss the evolving tech coming to the Wildfire industry and the importance of integrating it with the “old ways” and the expected hurdles along the way. There is always a place and a time for a certain tool, but how we merge these tools together can save time, energy, and lives. This system was built to be a mobile incident command...

On Today’s show: To Subscribe: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ I welcome the Director and Producer of Hotshot Movie Gabriel Mann. Gabriel recently attended the Red Sky Summit in California and describes the vibe and vision these companies have for the wildfire industry. Our conversation hopes to bring clarity to the public about what the needs are in the wildfire world, how folks can work together to accomplish that, and the realities and shortcomings we believe some are missing....

On Today’s Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ I lay out the case for hazard pay on Prescribed fire. It could actually save money, increase retention, and, one could argue, make the RX environment more safe. In the last few weeks, there have been major and severe injuries on prescribed burns around the Nation. I cover the fatalities that have occurred in RX burns in the last few years as well. I cover the Hotshot injured in Tennessee. There was another entrapment...

Episode: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Today, I welcome Bill Harsey, known worldwide for his award-winning knife designs for both special forces and the common man. Bill is a fourth-generation logger whose family moved to Oregon to make their way during the Great Depression. We also discuss his work in the Bull Run watershed, where a large wildfire occurred this fall. This area supplies the drinking water for all of Portland, Oregon. Bill worked in the steep mountains of Oregon...

On Today’s Show, https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ I have on Doug Cote to discuss the record-breaking wildfire season in Canada. Doug has a long and extensive wildfire career, including smoke jumping in the Yukon, and now his career is focused on prescribed fire and aerial ignition work in the Northern Boreal forests and working with Indigenous communities to bolster burn programs. We discuss the wild year that Canada had and what that looked like from the ground. We cover the...

On today’s show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ I welcome Kelly Martin to discuss the new Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission’s report to Congress, everything happening with the workforce, legislation, and beneficial fire. The Presidential Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission was established in 2022. Kelly was one of 500 applicants who applied to voluntarily serve on this 50-member Commission. She was selected to fill the primary seat representing...

Today, https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ We discuss solutions to combat depression and relationship struggles, communication tips for both families and first responders, and ways to transition back to home life successfully. We also have a conversation about the very different struggles women and men have when working in this industry and for their loved ones. When it comes to guys and gals, the contrasting struggles will surprise many, even those who are first responders. We discuss...

On Today’s Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ After the Wildfire Commission Report, Wildfire Tech Companies started calling for a “new workforce.” What does that mean, and is it needed? With 3 years of horrible retention and recruitment, why the shift now? AI wildfire data companies say our forests only have 10 years until they go away. Overblown predictions? Wildfire wage funding update. As predicted, war will likely save this Bill. Full operational...

On Today’s show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ I am happy to have Mental Health Counselor and Educator Dani Shedden. We discuss the process of reintegrating back into the “real world” after a wildfire season, bad habits to recognize, and solutions for first responders who are struggling. We also talk about the family side of things and what friends and loved ones can expect, the struggles they have, and communication methods to help their firefighters through this process. It is a...

On Today’s Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Prescribed burns are being rushed and crews shutting down early heading into a potential Government Shutdown. Congress members make a last stand to try and pass the wildland firefighter pay legislation. Original investors in Tesla, SpaceX, and SolarCity provide funding for AI autonomous helicopter systems. Is Elon about to jump head-first into the wildfire industry? Lockheed Martin joins forces with CalFire in a...

On Today’s Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Full operation update. Fires start to wind down around the nation. Canada continues to be active. I cover the multiple tree strikes that recently happened in the Pacific Northwest on wildfires. One firefighter was struck in the head, and another was struck while escaping the falling tree, striking their hip. Governments decide to go all in on AI systems while abandoning their workforce. Canada welcomes new AI swarm systems and...

On Today’s Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Firefighters with NFFE sit down for a roundtable conversation about the Paycheck Protection Act. We discuss the upcoming vote, how to support it, and what’s in it. They were very honest and open about the next steps involved, what comes after getting this passed, and the future of the Tim Hart Act. This conversation includes former Hotshots, Smokejumpers, Engine Captains, and more. I appreciate their openness about this process, the...

On Today’s Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Jason Forthofer joins us to talk about what’s happening at the Missoula Fire Sciences Lab in Montana. Jason is an Engineer, Researcher, and wildland firefighter with robust on-the-ground and operational experience. We dive into new tools and tech coming out of the Fire Lab, how AI can be used and its shortcomings, as well as how to find a career in this field. A very illuminating and valuable conversation. THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP - Thank...