The Hotshot Wake Up

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/

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Helicopter Pilot Tries To Take Out Drone Over Active Wildfire With Bucket Drops. Drone Owner Fined $5K New Court Documents Reveal. Forest Service to cut red tape, Europe opens new wildfire center.

    On Today’s Show: To Support and Subscribe: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ It was revealed in court documents this week that a helicopter pilot tried to take down a hobby drone over a wildfire with bucket drops. The pilot was between drops, protecting homes, when he spotted the drone. The judge in the case fined the drone operator $5K, well below the recommended amount, set forth in the Wildfire Act. The drone pilot argued he didn’t know firefighters and pilots were engaged in the massive inferno. A conversation about the growing issue of hobby drones over wildfires, and the lengths firefighters and pilots are forced to take to mitigate them. Forest Service Chief Schultz sends out a memo declaring an end to red tape and cumbersome mandates, and putting decision-making back in the hands of operators on the ground. Europe launches new wildfire center and is working to expand funding for mitigation, aviation, and training. Huge wildfire aviation conference in Rome. California HOA sues homeowners for $23,000 and tries to foreclose on properties burned down in the Eaton Fire. A full operational update and a rant. 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.

    44 min

  2. 20 MAR

    Pre Season Jitters: A Conversation About Training, And What My First Day On A Hotshot Crew Was Like. Minnesota Woman Fined $150K For NOT Calling In A Wildfire.

    On Today’s Show: To Support And Subscribe: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ As we head into crews coming on, a conversation about pre-season jitters. I talk about how I and others trained for the season, the first day on a Hotshot crew, and what was expected versus the reality. The jitters are normal; it means you care. A Minnesota woman was fined $150,000 for not calling in a wildfire that started on her property. The MN DNR doesn’t usually fine large amounts, maybe this is their way of setting an example? Full story. Fires are popping up across the western United States. Multiple new starts in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, and New Mexico. Full Operational Update as we increase to a PL2. 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.

    38 min

  3. 15 MAR

    Record Wildfires In Nebraska, Big Fires Burn In South Dakota, And The Southwest Is Next. The Morrill Fire Nears 600,000 Acres. Fire season is fully underway.

    On Today’s Show: To Subscribe And Support: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Wildfires in Nebraska have burned nearly 700,000 acres this week, with the Morrill Fire now the largest in the State’s history. Full update. South Dakota got a wake-up call with the Qury Fire, now 7,200 acres. The fire’s management has already expressed a shortage of aviation resources due to the ongoing fires in Nebraska. The Southwest is expecting a critical fire weather event pushing in early this week, with temperatures above 100 degrees. Fire managers and Incident Management Teams are prepping for a possible wildfire outbreak. Elected officials in Colorado sent a letter to Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz, asking for more prescribed burns and forest mitigation work due to concerns over record-low snowpacks. But asking Agencies and Firefighters to put more fire on the ground in these conditions is a big ask… and still no hazard pay for these increasingly hazardous operations. A full discussion on this. When do you declare an escaped burn a wildfire? A new report from the Klamath National Forest. 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.

    56 min

  4. 12 FEB

    From Smokejumper To Congressional Candidate. Sam Forstag joins the show to talk wildfire issues and his upcoming election.

    On Today’s Show: To Support And Subscribe 👉https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Sam Forstag joins the show today to talk about his time as a wildland firefighter and Smokejumper, before deciding to enter a different arena, running for a congressional seat in Montana. Sam has been a longtime advocate for the wildfire workforce, working as Vice President of his union’s local. We talk wildfire issues, wildfire costs, housing costs, public lands, and a litany of other topics. Sam has been traveling throughout Montana for the last month in anticipation of the June 2nd Primary. 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.

    53 min

  5. 6 FEB

    New Meals Ready To Eat "MRE" Health Study Released: It's Worse Than You Could Imagine. Heavy metals, banned veterinary drugs, Glyphosate and Trenbolone.

    On Today’s Show: To Support And Subscribe: 👉https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ A new study on Meals Ready To Eat, MREs, was done by the organazation Mom’s Across America. These meals are carried and eaten by wildland firefighters across America. I’ve eaten hundreds, if not thousands, of them. Mom’s Across America provided 24 different MRE items to 3rd-party independent laboratories for testing. The results… much worse than you could imagine. Some items contained 17,300% the safe aluminum levels, very high levels of lead and mercury in certain drink powders, apples with 27 pesticides, some of which are banned. They found levels of Trenbolone manufactured in China in food items, a very strong anabolic steroid with horrific side effects. I cover the entire study and the items they tested. They now warn of severe health issues from bioaccumulation of these chemicals, including cancers, birth defects, in utero defects, androgenizing females, and violent tendencies. They offer solutions to change this food system and lay out the minimal costs required. 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.

    43 min

  6. 24 JAN

    4 Suspects Arrested In Chile After Widespread Destruction And 21 Fatalities From Wildfires. Zeke Lunder joins for a broader conversation of what is happening on the ground.

    On Today’s Show: To Support And Subscribe: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ Authorities in Chile have arrested four suspects in connection with the current wildfires that have destroyed entire towns and led to 21 confirmed fatalities. One of the fires was said to have been started in a Eucaliptis grove, an industrial timber farm. The timber industry in Chile is massive, and timber products are the 2nd largest export for the country. There has been long standing tension between the indigenous populations and the current government over these large timber operations. Both sides have been using the wildfire narrative as a form of protest and as a reason for a crackdown. Zeke Lunder joins me for a conversation about these recent fires and the history behind these long time tensions. It’s not a cut and dry issue, and there is a lot to discuss. 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.

    58 min

  7. 21 JAN

    Congress Votes: Should Firefighters Be Able To Shoot Down Drones Over Wildfires? CAL FIRE Test Fully Autonomous Wildfire Vehicles. New study on wildfire smoke and pregnancy.

    On Today’s Show: To Support And Subscribe 👇https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ A House committee votes today on whether it should study the effects of drone incursions over wildfires. If passed, they will come up with mitigation solutions, including using force to bring the drones down, wildfire anti-drone radio towers, and using “net guns.” CAL FIRE has started testing of fully autonomous wildfire vehicles. Tests include supply drops, repeater use, surveillance, suppression, and drone launching platforms. A new study on women who are pregnant and the effects of wildfire smoke. 200,000 women were a part of the study. Nevada allows insurance companies to remove wildfire insurance from homeowner polices. The Red Cross is preparing for an abnormally busy spring fire season. BLM releases report on 38-mile-long fuel break on the U.S.-Mexican border. Oregon lawmakers introduce legislation that would require insurance companies to provide rate discounts if communities and homeowners complete project work. 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.

    41 min

  8. 12 JAN

    Department Of Interior Officially Creates The United States Wildland Fire Service. Transition plans and authorities announced.

    On Today’s Show: To Support And Subscribe 👇https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/ The Secretary of the Interior officially announced today the creation of the United States Wildland Fire Service. Effective today, the transition period begins, and the unification of wildfire resources within the Department starts. The Department provided transition plans, framework, and authorities of the new Service, which I cover in full. Unification of assets, budgets, IT services, and payroll is underway, along with streamlining overhead structures and fully aligning pay structure, position descriptions, and retirement benefits. A big day for the new United States Wildfire Service. 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.

    47 min
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About

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/

Information

  • Creator
    The Hotshot Wake Up
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    189
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Hotshot Wake Up
  • Show Website
    The Hotshot Wake Up

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