This is an insightful story about that ill-fated event. As a seasonal wildland firefighter with over 20 years of experience, I have worked with, and known literally hundreds of young men just like these. They are your neighbor, former classmate, brother, cousin and best friend. Many are college students trying to earn money for school. I remember that day as clear as if it were yesterday. As soon as the news was released, I had friends and family members blowing up my phone trying to find out if I was on the fire and making sure I was ok.
Unlike one of the other reviewer's, I didn't read any political agenda in this book. It is a known fact among firefighters that fires are becoming larger and more intense due to a number of factors such as drought, fuel loading and disease. Urban interface has compounded the problem.
I will say that as a supervisor, being a seasonal employee for the federal government (USFS- I was a sawyer, engine captain and squad Boss ) I was only making just over $15 an hour with no benefits other than sickleave and a little bit of vacation time, and that is typical for seasonal employees. When we are injured, unless we can afford our own insurance, our medical bills are paid by Worker's Comp. which is a difficult process. Fortunately for me I am a schoolteacher, so I had my own medical insurance. This book not only puts a real person with the names of the fallen, it points out those gaps in benefits for firefighters. While we are aware of the situation, no one ever believes it can happen to them, and we accept that risk and relatively low pay because we are doing what we love, working outdoors.
Santos did a good job of researching and understanding fire behavior and the operations of firefighting. As a firefighter, there were some issues however, with tools and gear which I noticed that a layman wouldn't. Things such as her description of drip torches having an igniter to light them (they don't), we don't use picks and axes we use pulaski's (as she described), rhinos, shovels and many other tools, but not picks and axes in fire line construction. Our boots (White's and Nick's) are certainly not insulated as she stated several times. They're made out of thick leather with hard rubber Vibram soles but your feet still get extremely hot inside when you're working the fire. To her credit, she did a very good job of trying to understand the complex world and equipment of wildland fire.
The question that still remain unanswered, but the answer is implied or speculated as to why they left the safety of the black. The answer to that question died with them in that brushy basin. I appreciate the fact that Santos doesn't look for blame. Wildland fire is chaotic and constantly evolving and situational awareness is crucial on all levels in order to stay relatively safe. Relative being the key word.
For me, it was emotionally difficult to read this book, because I could identify so closely with the young men who perished, and the struggle of the families that they left behind. It is important that their story be told and an awareness made among the public as to the difficult job of the wildland firefighter and the sacrifices made by their families. When you see these dirty exhausted men and women in your grocery store grabbing snacks, or fueling up their vehicles headed off to the next fire, give them your thanks.
This is a good book and I highly recommend it.
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Compelling narrative and thoughtful attention to details....
I am sitting here still trying to comprehend the magnitude of this loss...Fernanda Santos has captured the very essence of these 19 firefighters. From a gripping prologue that pulls you in, to the thoughtful details of each man's story, Santos crafts a narrative that compels you to keep reading long after you should turn off the lights for the night.The question everyone "wants to know" is who is to blame....and that question is extensively covered. Santos is the Phoenix bureau chief for the New York Times and originally covered the story, her skills in investigative journalism shine as she pieces together the complex puzzle of how the situation occurred. Not only is The Fire Line well researched, Santos is able to share technical firefighting and weather jargon in a way that is easy to understand-and thus allowing the reader to consequently make their own determination of what truly happened that fateful day.Combined with the deft handling of the individual hotshot's stories, Santos has created a memorial that truly honors the lives that were lost and cherishes those who were left behind. I highly recommend this book.
Top reviews from other countries
Mark payne
Granite mountain hotshots
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 3, 2018