fire season field notes from a wilderness lookout

While he does spot more than a dozen fires, not a single blaze becomes a significant mover of plot. The book is a riveting read, even as Connors never relies on raging wildfire-“the oldest story on earth, … the marriage of fuel and spark”-to keep the reader turning pages (12). Here’s one on point, also featuring Montana scenery and, this time, a female firefighter as protagonist and romantic lead.In Fire Season, Phillip Connors chronicles a single summer as a fire lookout in the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico. Here’s a link to an essay he wrote on the topic in The Paris Review so you can gather a sense of his prose.Īnd back to the novel … a Nora Roberts thriller probably belongs in every dusty beach bag. Philip Connors writes beautifully and shares his very personal account of summers spent on lookout for wildfires in remote New Mexico. This was highly recommended by Seattle’s Elliot Bay Book Company. Along with co-writer Julian Smith, he shares descriptions of actual harrowing and adrenaline charged experiences.Īnother memoir but from a slightly different perspective.

Based in our neighbouring Cascade Mountain Range, Jason Ramos shares a very personal account of the fiery front lines including insight into the rigours of the training and the psychological preparation and toll. Smokejumper is a memoir by a “Top Gun” of the airborne firefighting fraternity. Nicholas Evans of The Horse Whisperer fame has written a novel featuring Smoke Jumping characters based in Montana. Evans brings his documentary writing experience to all of his novels and his thorough research provides an element of authenticity. You’ll reliably find romance and personal growth in the stories too, of course. A number of books have been written, fiction and memoir, giving us an opportunity to learn more about the life of a Smoke Jumper. Whether you wish to read the personal accounts or visit the scene through a beach bag novel, one of these should help you empathize with the wildfire warriors working so hard for us all this summer. Uncommon characters faced with perilous adventures are tried and true elements of a good read.

Our gratitude should extend to the firefighters’ loved ones who support them and share the real threat of great personal loss as accidents occur. I know I can say we are all immensely grateful to those who dedicate themselves to these risky battles. In our mountainous terrain here in British Columbia, there is a particular reliance on the Smoke Jumper – a fighter of remote wildfires who is deployed to the front line by parachute. Fighting fires requires an exceptional ability to manage personal fears and safety while combating one of Natures’ fiercest forces for the noble protection of property, personnel, and animals (livestock and wildlife). As wildfires rage through this extraordinarily dry summer, I find myself considering the role of the front line emergency personnel.

Fire season field notes from a wilderness lookout