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. https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

The Hotshot Wake Up


    • Apr 27, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 53m AVG DURATION
    • 155 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Hotshot Wake Up

    Getting Through Critical 80 Healthy, Now What? Sustainable Wellness Through The Fire Season With Jessie Thomas. Jessie is a Former Hotshot, Smokejumper, and now a health and fitness coach.

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2025 83:44


    Living In The Wildland Urban Interface: Insurance Costs Rising, Home Hardening, And Wildfire Risk Maps. Stanford Scholar Michael Wara provides a needed dose of reality.

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2025 63:29


    Yes, There Is A Draft Executive Order For Wildfire. Here Is What's In It. Also, Oregon scraps wildfire risk map and Oklahoma Governor wants dissolve wildfire agency.

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2025 64:40


    California's Growing Fuel And Wildfire Problem. A Conversation With Zeke Lunder. Fuels mitigation and prescribed fire are key to the solution.

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2025 61:21


    Human Lookouts V.S. The Robots... A 35 Year Lookout Veteran, Zeyn O'Leary Gives His Perspective.

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2025 51:49


    On Today's Show: To Subscribe:

    united states veterans robots mt satellites national forests central oregon lookouts willamette national forest apache sitgreaves national forest
    The Continuing Resolution Deadline, Wildfire Pay, And Wildfire Legislation. Senator Tim Sheehy Joins The Show To Discuss It All. Deadline for passage is Friday night.

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2025 16:01


    Golden Eagles Hotshot Justin DeMoss: The Hotshot Wellness Summit. Mental Health On And Off The Fireline.

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2025 59:08


    Getting Fire Ready: JJ Shelley Discusses The Importance Of Nutrition, Sleep, And Health Awareness On The Fireline. Former Marine Infantryman and Arizona Wildland Firefighter.

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2025 61:34


    Update On The Positions Lost Over The Last 48 Hours. NPS, DOI, FS. The Agencies have gone dark with all communications.

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2025 47:31


    On Today's Show: To Subscribe

    "What's That Pink Stuff?" A Conversation With The Vice Chairman Of Perimeter Solutions, The Sole Retardant Contract Company With The USFS.

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2025 45:01


    A New Wildfire Agency, Massive Grant Cuts, And A Hiring Freeze. An update on all three.

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2025 46:05


    Hiring Freezes, Funding Freezes, Resignation Offers, And Hypocrisy. How We Got To Where We Are Today. Yes, D.O.G.E. took over your Agency.

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2025 39:21


    Moving The Forest Service, A Wildland Firefighter Family Support Program, And Water Bombs. The Fix Our Forests Act

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2025 31:20


    John Gould: 10 Tanker CEO, Alaska Fire Service Manager, Head Of Air Operations For The BLM, And Longtime Smokejumper.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2025 72:32


    Orange County Fire Chief Brian Fennessy: What Needs To Change After These Historic California Fires. Resource ordering, issues with hydrants, aviation contracts, politics, and more.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2025 56:41


    Senator Tim Sheehy: After The Horrific Fires In California, We Need To Fix The Wildfire System To Support All Americans And Address Pay Issues For Our Firefighters.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2025 25:22


    The Palisades Fire Origin: Investigators Are Looking At A Possible New Years Fire Holdover, Arson, And More. Origin photos show the fire starting off the Temescal Ridge Trail.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2025 35:03


    LAFD Chief: City Officials Failed The City And The Department. Confirms Reservoir Was Empty And Department Wasn't Notified.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2025 26:01


    Citizens Tackle And Arrest Arsonist In California Near Kenneth Fire, Curfew Issued In LA Due To Looting, Canada Sends Huge Amount Of Resources.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2025 32:51


    California Wildfire Update: Debunking Crazy Theories, What's Actually Happening, And The Aftermath. Still a lot of work to contain these fires.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2025 49:40


    A California Firestorm: Nearly 100,000 People Evacuated Due To The Devastating Palisades, Eaton, And Hurst Fires. Chaos as multiple fires ravage communities.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2025 35:24


    Wildfire Pay Fix Stripped From Continuing Resolution, Supplemental Pay to Continue. Massive Changes Coming To Wildfire As We Know It. DOGE is now focused on wildfire and the Agencies.

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2024 49:43


    Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell: Head Of The U.S. Fire Administration. A Conversation About The Lahaina Fire, Wildfire Tech, And PFAS Affecting Firefighters.

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2024 49:02


    Supt. Series: Scott Gorman, Former Dalton Hotshot Superintendent And Current Orange County Superintendent. 27 years of experience, the industry, the Agencies, wildfire, and tragedy.

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2024 75:00


    Wildfire Pay Bill: I Welcome The President Of The Forest Service Council And NFFE Western Region National Business Representative. Full update on the vote and what firefighters can expect.

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2024 41:56


    Smoke Exposure, Wildland Firefighters, And Fertility: Dr. Luke Montrose Discusses His New Study Focusing On This Issue. How does wildfire smoke affect your reproductive health?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2024 55:11


    Chief Brian Fennessy: President Of The California Fire Chiefs Association And Head Of Orange County Fire Authority. The Forest Service Aviation Policies, Workforce Shortages, Arsonists, and More.

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2024 54:46


    Hiker Charged In Oregon After Rescue Fires Turned Into Wildfires. Is Bridger Aerospace Under Attack? 2 California Congress members write FS Chief Moore, adding to the list.

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2024 54:15


    A Conversation With FiredUp Partners: What To Expect From The Paycheck Protection Act, The Struggles Of Fire Families, And How To Help.

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2024 62:58


    A Wild Week Of Fires. Crews Stranded, Civilians Injured, And Multiple Safety Zones Used. Crazy Stories From This Busy Week. California Fire Chiefs Battle The Forest Service Over Aviation.

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2024 53:31


    Former Hotshot And Smokejumper Jessie Thomas: Sustainable Health And Nutrition Into The Off-Season, And Raising A Fire Family.

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2024 62:40


    Mass Casualty Incident After Crew Buggy Rollover In California. 6 Firefighters in Critical Condition. The Forest Service All Employees Call Details.

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2024 40:29


    Arsonist Impersonating Firefighters And Law Enforcement Charged In Colorado. The Arsonist Personally Tried Contacting Me. Your fireline etiquette responses.

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2024 45:00


    State Of Emergency Declared In CA, Line Fire Under Investigation. Hotshot Crews Demobed On A Fire For Declining Assignment Due to Safety.

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2024 48:02


    Full Review Of The Little Twist Fire Tree Strike. Two States Ban PFAS In Firefighter Nomex. Fire Weather Moves Back In. Major wildfire fatality event in Portugal.

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2024 51:38


    FS Chief Moore Calls Out Hypocrisy With Cost Of Living Increases. Says The Feds Are Not Doing Enough. FS Has A $740M Budget Hole. Cal Fire arrests another arsonist after wildfire destroys 13 homes.

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2024 43:50


    Balloons Over Boise Fires, It's Not UFOs. More Arson Fires In CA. A Small Lull, But Fire Weather Moving In. Also, how to get hired on a Hotshot Crew.

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2024 53:16


    1 Civilian Fatality4 Firefighters Injured On Colorado Fires. 143 Structures Lost On Idaho Fire. 3 Injured On Pioneer Fire After UTV Crash.

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2024 50:03


    Park Fire Arsonist Arrested In California. Oregon Begs Feds For Help. 2 Aviation Fatalities In CA. Wildfire in Alberta burns down half of the town of Jasper.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2024 57:51


    American River Hotshot, Bobby Blaine, And His Hike Across America. Mental and physical toughness, camaraderie, and the positives of being a Hotshot.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2024 66:59


    Injuries And Tree Strikes Across Multiple Fires. Wildfire Activity Explodes Across North America. Reports on the 2 fatalities this week, and full operational update.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2024 51:26


    CalFire Engine Rollover, Multiple Injuries. The Forest Service “Reply All” Heard Around The World. There is a lot of bitterness… plus full operational update.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2024 36:12


    Firefighters Robbed In Oregon While Assigned To A Wildfire. Permanent Wildfire Pay Solution Introduced This Morning. Forest Service announces hiring mess, offers rescinded.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2024 52:00


    New Mexico Fires Listed As Human-Caused For 48 Hours, Then Removed. Spokesperson Says It Was An Automated Error. Local Mayor says fires were intentional. Investigation continues.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2024 45:01


    On Today's Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Full update on the New Mexico fires. Official fire reports listed the fires as human-caused for 2 days. The Agency spokesperson says that was an automated computer error. CIMT spokesperson said they were told the fires were both human and lightning caused during their inbrief. The local mayor of Cloudcroft, New Mexico, is quoted as saying, “It's my understanding these fires were intentional.” 2 confirmed fatalities, missing children. White House announces emergency declaration. Interestingly, Matthew McConaughey was filming a movie in Ruidoso about a wildfire ripping through the town back in late April. Full operational update. 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.

    The Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act, Where Are We With It? A conversation with NFFE Wildfire members, Max Alonzo, Andy Vanderheuel, and Steve Gutierrez.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2024 83:00


    On Today's Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ I spoke with the folks from NFFE Wildfire about The Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act, where it is in the process, their trip to D.C. next week, and everything else they have been working on. Thanks to Max Alonzo, Andy Vanderheuel, and Steve Gutierrez for the great conversation about the issues wildland firefighters are still dealing with, their wildfire background, and what the public can do to help get this legislation passed. Contact your representatives today!

    Dr. Amber Ortega, AKA Dr. Smoke. A conversation about wildfire smoke with the leading air quality meteorologist, wildland fire smoke specialist, and atmospheric chemist.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2024 84:08


    On Today's Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Dr. Amber Ortega is an air quality meteorologist, wildland fire smoke specialist, and atmospheric chemist with nearly two decades of experience researching, forecasting, and managing smoke. She serves as the Regional Smoke Coordinator at both the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Northwest & Alaska Forest Service Regional Offices. Driven by a desire to bridge the gap between researchers, regulators, and field operations, Amber aims to enhance fire personnel support, improve smoke fluency, and facilitate harmonious relationships with fire practitioners, air quality, and public health agencies. She's an Air Resource Advisor, aka Smoke Specialists that are dispatched to incidents to support Incident Command Teams with smoke concerns. Previously, she was the Duty Officer for the Smoke Monitoring Program at the Rocky Mountain National Fire Cache, part of the Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program. She served as a prescribed fire smoke manager and air quality meteorologist for the State of Colorado. Prior to civil service, as a Department of Energy Office of Science Fellow, she investigated the intersection of fire, weather, and air quality, focusing on smoke emissions from deferring fuel types and their interactions with the environment. Her research spans ground- and aircraft-based smoke measurements across notable locations, including USDA Missoula Fire Sciences Lab and Manitou Experimental Forest Observatory, UC-Berkeley Blodgett Forest Research Station, NASA Airborne Science DC-8 Laboratory, and US Naval Research Laboratory Scientific Development Squadron. She holds an MS/BS in Meteorology (Penn State), a Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences with a Specialization in Analytical Chemistry (CU-Boulder), and a PostDoc in Chemical Engineering (Uni Arizona), earning her the apropos title "Dr. Smoke." A fantastic conversation.

    Arson Charges Filed Against A Firefighter And Forest Supervisor After Vina Del Mar Fire Kills 137 In Chile. Southwest pops off, Blue 2 Fire grows in New Mexico.

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2024 47:21


    On Today's Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Back in February, multiple wildfires were started in the Valparaiso region of Chile. These fires killed 137 people and were the second deadliest fires this century. 2 individuals' homes have been raided, and were arrested after an investigation found a firefighter and a forest supervisor masterminded these fires. I called these fires out for arson back in February and was quickly labeled a conspiracy theorist, a climate denier, and space lasers were widely blamed online… Turns out it was one of the deadliest and most malicious acts of arson in world history. A month-long plan was made to start multiple fires using homemade incendiary devices during peak summer on the windiest day to cause the most damage. Specific sites were chosen on maps months in advance. I also cover the wildfires down in the southwest including the Blue 2 Fire that grew significantly yesterday. 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.

    A Conversation With Paul Petersen, The Executive Director Of The United Aerial Firefighters Association.

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2024 63:14


    On Today's Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ I have a wide-ranging conversation with the Executive Director of the United Aerial Firefighters Association, Paul Petersen. The UAFA represents the Aerial Wildland Fire Industry (Airtankers, Scoopers, Helicopters, Retardant, and aviation support) to Local, State, Federal agencies and Congress. Before his time at UAFA, Paul served as a Firefighter, Engine Captain, Fire Operations Specialist (Battalion Chief), Assistant Fire Management Officer, Fire Management Officer, and Deputy State Fire Management Officer. It is a fantastic conversation that covers many topics, including the current retardant issues, aviation contracting, working with the agencies, and more. THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP — Thank you to all of our paid Substack 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.

    Mental Health In The Wildfire Environment With Dani Shedden

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2024 70:15


    On Today's Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ I have a conversation with Dani Shedden, the woman behind Close The Gap Wellness. Dani is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Nationally Certified Counselor, and a wildland firefighter who started her counseling career with one goal in mind: to help people find balance and manage their mental health. It's a great conversation that expands into all things health and the realities of being a wildland firefighter, a partner or family member of one, and how to better manage those complex relationships and stressful environments. Dani travels across the country to talk to crews and fire personnel on a weekly basis. Say what's up if you see her! 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.

    Canada Pops Off: Estimated Nearly 500k Acres Burned. Communications Systems Down Across Northern Canada. Region 3 Orders IMTs To Fires.

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2024 38:34


    On Today's Show: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Canada sees multiple holdover fires rekindle. Multiple communities evacuated as the fires jumped rivers and highways. An estimated 500k acres burned this week. The Southwest starts bringing in IMTs to fires. The Toyo Fire in Arizona prompts a CIMT order with multiple Hotshot crews. Region 3 starting to pick up in activity. Washington State announced this week that during fire weather, residents should expect their power to be cut off for multiple days on end this summer. Wyoming sees insurance rates triple due to “wildfire risk.” Full operational update. 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.

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