Life With Fire Podcast

03/09/2024

🚁Check out this great collaboration with Amanda Monthei from the Life With Fire Podcast to learn more about aerial firefighting resources and their challenges and benefits.

WHY AREN'T THERE MORE PLANES ON THIS FIRE? Tackling common misconceptions about firefighting aircraft.

Click here: https://storymaps.com/stories/866bbfb203ca45f6b09623d87b7d45aa

02/12/2023

I spent the morning consolidating some of my favorite quotes and tidbits from past podcast guests, who happen to be some of the foremost thought leaders in the fire resilience space.

I often ask guests to tell me their “utopic vision” for a fire adapted future, so this newsletter was an ode to the hopefulness that everyone doing this work maintains, often while fighting like hell to find the solutions needed to build more resilient landscapes and communities.

Included in this newsletter are thoughts from: ’s Chris Adlam, former staffer and current .s.forestservice fire management planning specialist , .forward director , from the Earth Lab at CU Boulder, and Washington Fire Adapted Learning Network’a Annie Schmidt. A veritable who’s-who of leaders in the pursuit of a more fire-resilient future!

30/11/2023

We’re excited to finally release a new episode with the Nature Conservancy's Marek Smith today!

It was great to finally have a conversation with Marek, who is the North America Fire Director for TNC, a member of the Wildfire Commission, and one of the original Dream Guests© when I first started conceptualizing this podcast.

We spoke about his role in helping craft recommendations for the commission report, which was released back in September, as well as about the Fire Network, TREX and why he thinks people need to be at the center of our fire resilience initiatives.

Find it in the usual spots or at the link in our bio!

28/11/2023

In case you’re wondering why I haven’t been publishing new episodes lately—I moved into a new house after my previous rental was sold and haven’t had desk or office in about three months (plus having three roommates means it’s tough to find time to record privately). So today I decided to just do what I could to get an episode out, which means recording the intro in my slippers in the garage. Will the sound quality be good? Definitely not. Will I finally be posting episodes again? Yes. We’ll count it as a win—episode with releasing tomorrow!

15/11/2023

This photo/post from just made our whole week!! Three past guests from the podcast all in the same room, no doubt doing some great work together. Thank you for sharing Melinda!

From : Happy Not 1, but 3 Indigenous cultural fire practitioners gathering to learn together on the land 🔥🌿 We took a moment to geek out that we’ve all 3 been guests on ! Check the episodes below & subscribe to this awesome fire podcast 🎧✨
Celebrate Indigenous Knowledges & those uplifting Indigenous voices!

Ep. 43—Utilizing Traditional First Nations Values in Land Management, with Secwépemc Hereditary Chief Francis Johnson Jr.

Ep. 55—Humble Fire and Traditional Ecological Practices with Cultural Fire Scholar, Melinda Adams, San Carlos Apache

Ep. 34—Indigenous-Led Fire Stewardship with Amy Christianson, Métis.

07/11/2023

FIRE TECH: What do you think? What’s working? What are you excited about? Most importantly, for those working in fire or resilience, what technology is making your job easier?

One of our original goals for starting a newsletter was to create a platform for conversation, for hot takes, for bringing more awareness of certain topics to a broader audience.

This is the first post of this type—we’re calling it a “chat” but that’s probably gonna be workshopped a bit. We’d love for you to toss your experience of perspective in the ring over at our Substack (link in bio) or even right here under this post if you feel inclined. All subscribers (free or paid) can contribute, and I’m not planning on ever making posts inaccessible for folks who can’t afford a paid sub.

Maybe this won’t be popular, or maybe your takes are so spicy that you don’t want to share them on the Internet. But my hope is for this to be a little corner of the Internet where we can hear each other out, have some back and forth and potentially even help inform future decisions/technology/etc.

Photo of Columbia Gorge TREX participants looking at a mapping app while hiking to a pile burning unit in October.

26/10/2023

Haunt is a strong word but it’s almost Halloween and this photo looks spooky so it feels apt.

Here’s the first real essay I’ve posted on the Substack, which can be found at the link in our bio. A reflection on the ways fire has stuck with me—in saying copy to strangers, yes, but also in the voice in my head, which is incessant in its demands that I run/hike/bike faster.
Give er a read and consider becoming a subscriber if you’re keen—all posts will be free, but there is also an option to become a paid subscriber if you dig what I’m doing!

26/10/2023

25/10/2023

The best part of my TREX-perience? The people, hands down.

There are some rad folks who have a shared interest in using fire to actively steward the land. This crew kept morale high even when it was raining most days and drying out before the end of TREX seemed unlikely. And our patience paid off with two full days of 20-50 acre broadcast burns, one on land and another on land.

Kind of curious for those who have been to a TREX: have you had a chance to burn with someone you met at TREX? Have there been opportunities to collaborate since leaving?

24/10/2023

Okay people—I’ve finally acted on my longtime goal to start a newsletter. Catch us on , link in bio.

My goal is for this to be a space for folks to share their triumphs and challenges, to build a digital community around fire resilience, and of course, to share my sorta spicy (like…3.5/5 on the Thai spice scale) fire opinions.

To start, I’ve posted some quick reflections on my TREX-perience from the last few weeks, and reposted the first episode of the podcast (back when it was called Living With Fire 🥹) with a transcript and some additional thoughts. This episode is with Jeremy Bailey, who headed up the initiative to make TREX back in 2007–having just left my first TREX, I figured it was a great time to bring this episode back, especially for some of our newer listeners.

23/10/2023

I like this photo because it looks really profound but if you look closely enough you’ll see that he’s actually cooking tinfoil-wrapped pulled pork sliders in his shovel. I call it “Tinfoil Gothic.”

I just got back from my first TREX-perience and I can’t wait to share some photos I took while I was there! I’ll be sharing them throughout this week so keep an eye out.

-Amanda

14/10/2023

🔥🎙️We’ve got a new episode, finally! Today’s guest is Kelly Martin, who is a longtime (but recently retired) wildland firefighter and a member of the Biden Administration’s Wildfire Commission. We spoke about the new Wildfire Commission report (released at the end of September), got a glimpse into the process, and talked implications for wildland firefighters.

Listen in the usual spots!

13/09/2023

In classic form, we may have said “yes” to too much this summer, which has taken time away from the podcast. So it goes—but change is afoot, and we have tons of episodes in the docket once things calm down…as well as a few big ideas we’re hoping to play with come December/January.

Stay tuned for episodes with a NASA scientist, an acclaimed author of a newly-released wildfire book, a Forest Service forest supervisor doing incredible work on his forest and more! We’ve got a stacked lineup coming once we find the time 😅.

A reminder that we will also have some guest episodes coming up, hosted by people other than for once. We like to pay our contributors well, but doing so requires support from listeners! All PayPal and Patreon donations for the next few months will go directly to creators telling fire stories from their own corners of the country, including Michigan, central California and Florida.

Link to donate in bio!

Image: in the smoke below Mt. Shuksan, which is as close to a fire as she’s gotten this summer (a welcome reprieve!)

02/08/2023

You've probably heard of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), but how about Traditional Ecological *Practices*?

In this week’s episode, we spoke with Dr. Melinda Adams of the N’dee San Carlos Apache Tribe about translating Indigenous knowledge into Indigenous-led action—which means giving Indigenous practitioners the "space, opportunity and action" to see their knowledge systems play out on the landscape. We spoke about a whole lot more than that, though—we heard about Dr. Adams' PhD work at UC-Davis, about her new assistant professor position at the University of Kansas and about bringing more humility into the use of fire.

This one is a must listen. Find it on Spotify, Apple or at the link in our bio, where you can also learn more about Melinda’s recent publication on cultural fire.

25/07/2023

🔥🎙️New episode day!🎙️🔥

Do you consider talking to people about fire to be part of your job, project or research?

(Hint—if you work in or adjacent to wildfire this should be all of you!)

This is an episode that anyone who talks about wildfire can benefit from. takes us through the dynamics of communicating about wildfire with communities along the spectrum of wildfire resilience, response and recovery. She’s a big advocate for throwing the top-down approach to communications out the window whenever possible, in lieu of a more collective approach that ensures information is traveling in both directions—both from officials and from community members.

As always, listen on Spotify, Apple or right at the link in our bio! And let us know what you think or what questions you still have about communicating about wildfire!

12/07/2023

🔥New episode day!🔥 We spoke with .wander.live from Mt. Adams Resource Stewards/Community Forest about the organization’s Stewardship Crew (which Lucas leads!) and expanding rx fire capacity in their backyard and, by extension, throughout Washington State.

We covered some ground here, from and their work this spring and summer to the Washington State Prescribed Burn Manager program, which both Lucas and Amanda are alumni of, with Lucas being the first full graduate of the program!

Listen in all the usual spots, or at the link in our bio.

07/07/2023

Are you an early career audio journalist/storyteller who lives in a community impacted by wildfire?

We are looking for contributors who can provide a unique perspective on the disproportionate impact of wildfires on certain communities—Indigenous, Black, Hispanic, migrant, disabled and unhoused communities, specifically.

We have allocated $700-$1000 per episode (we currently have funding to accept 2-3 episodes), depending on the complexity of the pitch and anticipated workload. We are especially excited to see pitches from early-career, BIPOC, and/or LGBTQIA+ audio journalists/creators who reside in wildfire-impacted communities, though all are welcome to pitch us.

More info can be found at the link in our bio.

15/06/2023

Big news! We’re commissioning pitches for narrative podcast episodes that explore how communities that have been historically underrepresented in the wildfire conversation (Indigenous, Hispanic, Black, migrant, low income or homeless communities, for a few examples) are experiencing wildfire impacts and building resilience.

Our intent is to amplify the work of early-career audio journalists who reside in one of the above communities, and to highlight stories that speak to that community’s unique relationship with fire—whether that focuses on their vulnerability to wildfire impacts or their resilience-building efforts or otherwise.

We are looking to commission three episodes to publish in the late fall, and can pay $700-$1000 per episode depending on the complexity of the story and production process.

Applications are due August 1. More information can be found on our website at the link in our bio.

Also—this opportunity is largely possible because of the support of our Patrons. Supporting our Patreon helps us support other creators and tell their essential stories! If you’re interested in supporting that work, you can check out our Patreon at the link in our bio.

15/06/2023

No one can compete with but we can try.

08/06/2023

I’ve been noodling how I want to approach talking about the smoke in NYC/the East Coast, and have been overwhelmed by the discourse this event has spurred.

I feel immense sympathy for the East Coast, which hasn’t needed to adapt to wildfire smoke and which is getting a glimpse at a reality that will require them to take their own wildfire resilience actions that they likely never expected to have to take.

In some ways, I’m grateful that this smoke event has spurred so much conversation around wildfire and adaptation. What I can say is that I’m seeing a lot of discourse around climate change and reducing emissions to reduce future smoke impacts. While it’s true that climate change contributes to conditions that are increasingly conducive to destructive wildfires, I do think focusing all of our attention on climate change takes away some of our agency to make change on the ground. The fundamental takeaway that I hope to leave people with is that we *can* take action, at an individual scale, regardless of where we live.

We can invest in creating a “clean air shelter” in our homes. We can advocate for community clean air shelters. We can start conversations around building community resilience to wildfire. We can volunteer to help with fuels reduction projects. We can create our own defensible space around our homes.

We have agency here, we can take action. We *are* taking action in a million little ways every single day. The people who come on this podcast demonstrate this! And I hope this event empowers another couple million people to realize that this isn’t a “new reality” but the reality that we have, one that has long existed in other parts of the country, one that is not a one-off or fluke but which we can expect to experience significantly more often moving forward.

The time for adaptation is now and the beautiful thing is that it’s already happening in so many communities across the West. Time to get inspired, get empowered, and take meaningful action.

Photos of various smoky days in Nevada and Washington over the years.

04/06/2023

Instagram says there’s about 600 of you who have started following us in the last two months so we though we’d do a quick intro of who we are, what we’re up to and what’s on the horizon.

First of all, here’s an incredibly unflattering but nonetheless representative photo of host housing some MRE ravioli on a fire in 2017. Amanda left fire in 2020 and started this podcast soon after, and we’ve since produced over 50 episodes with many more on the way.

Now that we’ve hit 50 episodes (and 100k downloads!) we’re beginning to figure out what the next 50 will look like—and we have some big stuff in the works to ensure that more voices are amplified and more perspectives shared. We are especially interested in how individual communities have been impacted by (or are building resilience to) wildfire. More on that next week. 👀

Above all, we continue to build on our mission to explore how wildfire impacts our forests, lands and communities, while amplifying the people and orgs who are making good work happen at the ground level. The amount of positive resilience work that’s happening out there makes this a nearly impossible task, but we’re happy to take on the challenge.

We appreciate all of you for following along and listening, and most of all for believing in the work we’re doing!

15/05/2023

🔥🎙️New Episode Day🔥🎙️

We spoke with Luke Mayfield of and about hotshotting (Luke and are both Zig Zag IHC alum!), leaving fire, Luke’s post-fire career working scheming up cool projects like the Backbone Series at Mystery Ranch, and Grassroots’ growing impact in enacting policies that support wildland firefighters.

Listen in the usual spots or at the link in our bio!

This also seems like a great time to promote that Mystery Ranch is currently accepting applications for its annual Backbone Scholarship (coordinated by .experience)! Check out our link in bio for more info.

02/05/2023

New episode day! 🔥🎙️
We brought on the one and only to talk about ’s ongoing forest resilience initiatives, eastside vs westside wildfires in Washington State, using policy to build statewide resilience, and I even snuck a question in about managed fire 😈. Hilary was a great guest, and someone that we’ve considered a “dream guest” since the podcast’s inception!

Also—I found this photo on Inciweb and thought it was a good representation of Hilary’s leadership…but to the two firefighters featured, I’m sorry if you owe the crew beers now 😬.

14/04/2023

🔥🎙️New episode day!🎙️🔥

The pine barrens of New Jersey really popped off this week, with some extreme fire behavior resulting in 4000 acres burned over the last three days. The fire is nearly wrapped at this point (with no homes lost) but we thought this would be a good opportunity to talk about fire in the Northeast on the podcast for the first time!

We brought on professional forester Emily Dolhansky, who grew up camping in the pine barrens and wrote her master’s thesis at Yale on the pine barrens of the greater northeast. Emily guided us through the fire history in these unique and often misunderstood ecosystems that are, in fact, adapted to fire.

Listen in the usual spots!

06/04/2023

We cannot adequately express how much of a bad*as this week’s guest is. Natasha Stavros is the current director at CU Boulder’s Earth Analytics Lab, a new mom, a PhD in quantitative fire ecology AND has NASA on her resume. Insane.

She has also had many personal experiences with wildfire, from evacuating from one of the first megafires in California as a young adult to seeing the impacts of the Marshall Fire on her community in Boulder. This breadth of experience made for a fantastic episode that covers more topics than we could possibly list here. Give it a listen—we promise youll glean something from it, regardless if it you call policy, operations, academia or the broader West home.

Listen at the link in our bio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most other podcast platforms!