Megafire [J0155]

2017 - HCDJ Nice clean condition. As forest fires continue to ravage communities, this bestselling author and firefighter explores what causes them, and captures the danger and heroism of those who fight them. In Megafire, a world-renowned journalist and forest fire expert travels to the most dangerous and remote wildernesses, as well as to the backyards of people faced with these environmental disasters, to look at the heart of this phenomenon and witness firsthand the heroic efforts of the firefighters and scientists racing against time to stop it-or at least to tame these deadly flames. From Colorado to California, China to Canada, the narrative hopscotches the globe and takes readers to the frontlines of the battle both on the ground and in the air, and in the laboratories, universities, and federal agencies where this issue rages on. Through this prism of perspectives, Kodas zeroes in on a handful of the most terrifying and tumultuous of these environmental disasters in recent years-the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona that took the lives of nineteen elite "hotshot" firefighters, the Waldo Canyon Fire that overwhelmed the city of Colorado Springs-and more in a page-turning narrative that puts a face on the brave people at the heart of this issue. Megafire describes the profound impact of these fires around the earth and will change the way we think about the environment and the essential precariousness of our world.

From recent-ish Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Researched in detail to outline the intense concerns of wildfires ravaging the West in the past few decades. It reads like a thriller, a drama, and a tragedy while showing the controlled burns, heat waves, and lightning strike. Kodas describes in vivid detail the increasing threat on homes in these burn zones and the effect on family, friends, and firefighters.", "Although a few years old, this book seems more relevant today than ever. If you want to understand why wildfire seems to be more of a problem today than in the past (aside from climate change) - this is a great book to take in. Aside from discussing the nuts and bolts of modern forest management and firefighting strategies, the author also tells the gripping stories of people on the front lines laying their lives on the line.", "Certainly a comprehensive and stark tale of wildland firefighting's past and increasingly bleak future."