Fire and Ashes: On the Front Lines Battling Wildfires

By John N. Maclean

Book Overview

An expert's report on why wildland fires keep getting hotter, bigger, and more dangerous to the men and women who fight them Are wilderness fires now a tragic and enduring feature of the American landscape? John N. Maclean, author of the acclaimedFire on the Mountain, offers a view from the front lines, combining action-packed storytelling with moving insights about firefighters and informed analysis of firefighting strategy past and present. Beginning with a riveting account of the worst case of arson in wildfire history-the 1953 Rattlesnake Fire in Mendocino National Forest, which claimed the lives of fifteen firefighters-Maclean explains the mysterious dynamics of fire, and the courage and techniques required to combat it.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805075917
• ISBN13: 9780805075915
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.7" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

book recieved, very good condition

Book received very quickly, in excellent condition, library bound. Has a slightly funny chemical smell. Otherwise would be 5 stars.

Excellent Fire History

Mc Clean does these stories a great justice by bringing them to light. He exposes the safety problems of our culture and shows how they begin long before the fire starts. I would recommend this book to any person aspiring to make a living on the fire lines.

Fire and Ashes

This is a really a interesting and personal account of fighting fire. Shows real knowledge and insight into the chemistry of fighting fire !

EVEN BETTER THAN THE FIRST

Maclean's done it again, only this time he's done it better. His first book, FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN, was and still is a popular book with wildland firefighters. This one, though, will be a must-own for the summer army of boots-and-nomex firefighters -- and will surely be assigned as mandatory reading in many a fire training course. The collection of stories in FIRE AND ASHES proves up both Maclean's dogged pursuit of history and his determined focus on accuracy gained from 30 years in journalism. Covering many thousands of miles, dozens of interviews, and with painstaking attention to detail in his writing, Maclean has crafted a book that puts his readers out on the fireline. Unlike many authors who try to write about wildfire, Maclean makes no lame allowances for readers unfamiliar with the language and culture of the firefighter. He just explains it for them. His recounting of the 1999 Sadler incident -- in retrospect a problematic compilation of small "oops" decisions that resulted in near-disaster -- is a chilling read when one considers how close it came to being a disaster like South Canyon. His "Short History of Wildland Fire" and glossary of fire terms will be a go-to resource for firefighters -- structural and wildland both -- and for anyone curious enough to read about or write about fire. It's Maclean's reconstruction of the 1953 Rattlesnake Fire, though, that stands as the highlight of the book. It's a can't-put-down story that's finally been accurately researched and told (and illustrated), about a fire that's been a benchmark for safety lessons and fire behavior training for 50 years. Young men and women in fire camps across the West -- and the older ones too -- will be packing this book along in their red bags this summer, and well they should.