The Hotshot Wake Up

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A podcast and newsletter by firefighters about wildfire and the world. Crew Supervisor and Ex Hotshot overhead. Call it like it is. Monthly Substack subscriptions go towards supporting this content and helping firefighters in need....

Episodes

Instead Of Telling Wildland Firefighters To "Make It Work," We Need To Help Them "Make It Work Better." Continued staffing and fleet issues. These are fixable problems.

USDA Submits 2026 Wildfire Directives And Seasonal Wildfire Priorities. Senators Send Letter With Questions About Forest Service ReOrg. Full wildfire operational update:

Party Balloon Starts Wildfire That Burned Down 120+ Homes In Georgia. Bear Jaw Crew Disbanded In Arizona. Getting A Hotshot Crew Qualified. Wildland firefighter fatality in Florida.

The Future Of Wildfire Tech And The Wildfire Technology Summit: A Conversation With Western Fire Chiefs Association CEO, Chief Mark Niemeyer.

Forest Service Announces Reorganization Plan: Deputy Chief Of Fire And Aviation Management, Sarah Fisher, And Associate Chief Of The Forest Service Chris French Join To Provide Details.

Helicopter Pilot Tries To Take Out Drone Over Active Wildfire With Bucket Drops. Drone Owner Fined $5K New Court Documents Reveal. Forest Service to cut red tape, Europe opens new wildfire center.

Pre Season Jitters: A Conversation About Training, And What My First Day On A Hotshot Crew Was Like. Minnesota Woman Fined $150K For NOT Calling In A Wildfire.

Record Wildfires In Nebraska, Big Fires Burn In South Dakota, And The Southwest Is Next. The Morrill Fire Nears 600,000 Acres. Fire season is fully underway.

From Smokejumper To Congressional Candidate. Sam Forstag joins the show to talk wildfire issues and his upcoming election.

New Meals Ready To Eat "MRE" Health Study Released: It's Worse Than You Could Imagine. Heavy metals, banned veterinary drugs, Glyphosate and Trenbolone.

4 Suspects Arrested In Chile After Widespread Destruction And 21 Fatalities From Wildfires. Zeke Lunder joins for a broader conversation of what is happening on the ground.

Congress Votes: Should Firefighters Be Able To Shoot Down Drones Over Wildfires? CAL FIRE Test Fully Autonomous Wildfire Vehicles. New study on wildfire smoke and pregnancy.

Department Of Interior Officially Creates The United States Wildland Fire Service. Transition plans and authorities announced.

One Year After The Palisades Fire: Has Anything Changed, What Have We Learned? We need to let operators operate.

Forest Service Plans To Move D.C. Staff To Salt Lake City As Part Of Reorg Plans. Senators Pen Letter To Chief Schultz Over Hiring And Project Work Numbers.

CEO Of Bridger Aerospace, Sam Davis, Breaks Down The 2025 Wildfire Season, Their Expansion Into Spain, And The Future Of The Wildfire Aviation Company.

A Happy Thanksgiving Episode: Things We Can All Be Thankful For As Wildland Firefighters And Their Loved Ones.

Historic Wildfire Costs During A Near Record Slow Season In Montana, Why? Full Reports On Broken Arm During Rolling Attack In TX And Jump Injury In MT.

The 2025 Wildfire Season By The Numbers: Fires, Acres, Aircraft, Crews, Drone Incursions, Equipment, UTFs, Cancellations, And More.

Recap Of Today's Senate Hearing On The Palisades Fire. Homeowners Testify On Their Experiences And Loss.