The Hotshot Wake Up

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2 Firefighters Burned On Oklahoma Fire, Started As Controlled Burn. Also, Red Flags Now = No Power. Fortress Retardant loses contract after “environmentally safe” product eats aircraft tanks. Apr 07, 2024

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On Today’s Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

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After a mayday call went out on the Oklahoma fire yesterday, we learned this morning that 2 firefighters were burned.
The fire started as a “controlled burn” before 55MPH winds caused it to blow up.
Colorado learns that Red Flag days now mean your power gets shut off.
What’s the solution?
Also, Fortress Retardant loses USFS contract after new environmentally friendly retardant is found to eat the aircraft that use it. Multiple tankers taken out of operation for the 2024 season because of it.
What does it do to your skin…?
A retardant industry war…
Plus more

THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP — Thank you to all of our paid subscribers. Your support allows us to donate generously to firefighter charities and supports all of our content. You also receive all of our article archives, more podcast episodes, Monday morning workouts, and also entered into our giveaways, plus more.

Weekly Wildfire Update: East Coast Pops Off, Multiple Teams Ordered. Washington State Scraps Wildfire Risk Map. Says the Maps are unreliable, but there's a lot more to this story. Mar 23, 2024

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On Today’s Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

Full Operational Update.
Virginia and West Virginia order multiple Teams. Multiple Complexes established.
Governor puts out an emergency response. Southern Area at PL3.
Washington State scraps its Wildfire Risk Maps.
Says their unreliable and need to be redone. However, defensible space requirements are thrown out because environmentalists say it removes too many trees.
I cover the lobbyists behind this Bill and where it goes from here.
State Farm doesn’t renew 70,000+ policies in California.
Not guilty plea in Canada’s arson cause that caused the largest fire in Nova Scotia’s history.
Plus more.

Couple Charged in Death of Big Bear Hotshot Squad Boss, Charlie Morton, After Gender Reveal Starts Fire. Also, WFPPA Update. Feb 15, 2024

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On Today’s Show:

To Subscribe: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

The Eldorado Fire was started by a gender reveal party in California.
This week the couple involved was charged in the death of a Big Bear Hotshot squadie.
Charlie Morton was working the Eldorado Fire when the fire overran his position.
A look at the upcoming Spring fire season.
Bureau of Land Management gets $50M to retrofit existing trucks into Type 6 engines.
Update on the WFPPA stuck in committee in Congress.
Plus more.

The Hotshot Wake Up is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Fires in Chile: 64+ Dead. President of Chile\Governor: “These fires began in four points that lit up simultaneously.” "Could be intentional." Curfew ordered, authorities search for those responsible. Feb 04, 2024

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On today’s show: {to subscribe:} https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

Wildfires in Chile claim the lives of 64 people. Thousands are out of their homes, and hundreds are still missing.
Four fires started “simultaneously,” according to the President of Chile and Governor of Valparaiso.
“Possibly coordinated,” and an investigation is underway.
I also cover the payments coming for residents of Lahaina.
Payments are available on March 1st if you drop all legal claims.
Insurance companies from around the planet are suing the school system, Hawaii power company, and telecommunications companies.
Bankruptcy concerns rise.
Plus more.

THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP - Thank you to all of our paid subscribers. It allows us to donate generously to firefighter charities and supports all the content we provide. You also receive all of our article archives, more podcast episodes, Monday morning workouts, entered into our giveaways, recipes, and more.

The Story of The Beachie Creek Fire: Put It Out, Or Let It Burn? Both Have Consequences. Also, PG&E and the Dixie Fire trial. The settlement basically pays itself. Jan 27, 2024

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On Today’s Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

The story of the Beachie Creek Fire in Oregon.
Multiple lawsuits on how the fire was handled by the Forest and $1B demanded from the power company.
MIST tactics V.S. full suppression. Safety V.S. engaging. What’s the cost in the end?
PG&E come to a settlement on the Dixie Fire trial.
Did PG&E just pay itself as a result? Where does the money actually go?
Plus more.

THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP - Thank you to all of our paid subscribers. It allows us to donate generously to firefighter charities and supports all the content we provide. You also receive all of our article archives, more podcast episodes, Monday morning workouts, entered into our giveaways, recipes, and more.

Wildfire Contractors Accused of Bid Rigging in Idaho and "Drowning" the Competition. FBI Investigates After Wiretaps. Also, Hotshots and Ultra Marathons. A story about cardio and mental toughness. Jan 20, 2024

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On today’s show: To Subscribe: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

The FBI and DOJ indict two wildfire contract companies for bid rigging wildfire contracts.
Wiretaps led to evidence of collusion, territorial monopolies, and running the competition out of business.
The shady world of wildfire contracts.
I cover the story of three Hotshots running ultra marathons in the off-season.
Mental toughness and high cardio endurance give them an edge in competitions.
How training helps with the off-season blues.
Also, will Region 3 have a busy spring fire season?
Plus more.

THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP - Thank you to all of our paid subscribers. It allows us to donate generously to firefighter charities and supports all the content we provide. You also receive all of our article archives, more podcast episodes, Monday morning workouts, entered into our giveaways, recipes, and more.

A Conversation With Bridger Aerospace Founder and CEO Tim Sheehy. Wildfire aviation, wildfire policy, and the history of Scoopers. Jan 05, 2024

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To Subscribe: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ On today’s show:

Tim Sheehy, founder and CEO of Bridger Aerospace, joins me to discuss the current state of wildland fire, firefighter compensation, the bureaucratic struggles with policy and contracts, and his new book, Mudslingers. Tim takes us through his journey from a Navy Seal to building Bridger Aerospace out of a barn in a Montana valley. A great conversation.

The book is currently available here, and 100% of the proceeds go to wildland firefighters.

Tim is also running for Senate in Montana and would be a strong voice for wildland firefighters in our nation’s capital.

Looking Forward to the 2024 Wildfire Season: A conversation with wildfire commissioner Kelly Martin. Dec 22, 2023

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On today’s show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

We discuss the slowly reemerging policy of “put everything out” that has crept back into both the political realm and the tech side of the wildfire industry. A policy that clearly didn’t work. We talk about the importance of bringing operational and field-capable people into these discussions and how pivotal it is to support the base layer of the entire system, our wildland firefighters.

Kelly is a former Hotshot, (ret) Chief of Fire and Aviation at Yosemite National Park, current wildfire commissioner, and vice president of the International Association of Wildland Fire.

I would also like to thank the monthly subscribers to the Substack. I put out over 100 episodes this year and well over 150 articles on wildfire and wildfire issues around the world. I do this in my free time without sponsorships or ads. There are over 14,000 of you in this community that have free subscriptions, and I thank you. If you would like to see this continue into the new year, please consider monthly subscriptions that support everything I do.

Thank and have a happy new year! https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

Tracking Firefighters, A Living IAP, Interactive Maps, and Live Fireline Progression. A Conversation with Fire Captain Andy Bozzo, Co-Founder of Tablet Command. Dec 11, 2023

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To subscribe: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

On Today’s show, I welcome Contra Costa County Fire Captain and Tablet Command Co-founder Andy Bozzo. We discuss the evolving tech coming to the Wildfire industry and the importance of integrating it with the “old ways” and the expected hurdles along the way.

There is always a place and a time for a certain tool, but how we merge these tools together can save time, energy, and lives.

This system was built to be a mobile incident command and response solution that increases situational awareness, speeds incident response, streamlines incident management, and improves firefighter accountability. It basically allows you to update your IAP in real-time, coordinate resources, and provide a real-time fireline and wildfire progression to resources, all while informing you on possible span of control issues and resources that might be in a tight spot.

A fascinating conversation.

The Ever Changing Story of Wildfire Has Confused the Public. Let's Get Back On Track. Dec 08, 2023

Show notes

On Today’s show:

To Subscribe: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

I welcome the Director and Producer of Hotshot Movie Gabriel Mann. Gabriel recently attended the Red Sky Summit in California and describes the vibe and vision these companies have for the wildfire industry.

Our conversation hopes to bring clarity to the public about what the needs are in the wildfire world, how folks can work together to accomplish that, and the realities and shortcomings we believe some are missing.

The overall goal should include the protection of our country’s valuable assets, which are our public parks and forests, and supporting those on the ground doing the work. Our lively conversation looks to bridge the gap between Big Tech, the wildfire operators, and the public.

Enjoy.

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