Wildfire Matters

• Turning Data into Decisions — Behind the Scenes of Fire Intel

  From thermal infrared flights at 10,000 feet to the daily intel reports guiding national strategy, this episode takes you inside the engine room of wildfire intelligence. We sit down with Scott Mayer with the Bureau of Land Management and Rachael Hansen with USDA Forest Service both based at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise to explore how data becomes decisions. They share how real-time intel, coordination, and infrared technology shape the way we respond to wildfires across the country. Whether you're a firefighter, land manager, or just fire-curious, this episode pulls back the curtain on the people and systems we all rely on during fire season.

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• Two Roles, One Goal: Suppression with Stewardship

  What does it take to build fireline with 60,000 pound machines and protect sensitive ecosystems while doing it? In this episode of Wildfire Matters, host Caleb Ashby sits down with Dustin Hall, a seasoned dozer operator, and Erik Kriwox, a veteran Resource Advisor (READ), to explore how wildfire line construction with heavy equipment works on the ground. From navigating lava fields and avoiding buried pipelines to negotiating riparian zones and habitat concerns, this conversation digs into the risks, responsibilities, and real-time decisions that happen on the fireline. Dustin and Erik also reflect on post-fire rehabilitation, what it's like to return to a fire scar months later. Whether you're in fire management or just curious about how heavy equipment plays a role in wildfire response, this episode delivers insights, practical knowledge, and a deeper appreciation for the balance between suppression and stewardship.

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• Land management is fire management: an overview of the BLM Fuels Management program with TJ Clifford, Diane Mastin Dixon, Casey Cheesbrough, and Lance Okeson

  You can’t talk about wildland fire without talking about land. In this episode, we sit down with TJ Clifford, Diane Mastin Dixon, Casey Cheesbrough, and Lance Okeson to break down how fuels management works—and why it’s a cornerstone of BLM’s approach to reducing wildfire severity. From planning and partnerships to boots-on-the-ground treatments, this conversation highlights how managing vegetation today can change the trajectory of tomorrow’s fires.

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• Fighting wildfire in Alaska: a chat with Chena Hotshots Galen Milchman and Emily Evans

  When you work for the Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service, things are done a little differently than in the lower 48. Chena hotshots Galen Milchman and Emily Evans join us to discuss what it's like to be a hotshot in the Last Frontier. They share details about life on Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, AK, fighting fire on the tundra, and the camaraderie built while camping, working, and eating MREs with your crew in remote and rugged terrain.

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• What it’s like to be a BLM Pilot: winging it with Bob McCormick and Lisa Allen

  Fire jobs are some of the most unique out there; piloting aircraft for the Bureau of Land Management goes above and beyond. Bob McCormick, Smokejumper Instructor Pilot, and Lisa Allen, Air Tactical Pilot, join Piper Brandt in the studio to discuss what it’s like to be a pilot for BLM Fire. They share what it takes to be a smokejumper or leadplane pilot, what they encounter on the job, and how their past experiences led them to the cockpit.

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