The National Weather Service is predicting Elevated Wildfire Conditions for Wisconsin this year. In response, Governor Evers has declared a State of Emergency. WORT producer Jonah Chester sat down with Catherine Koele, a wildfire prevention specialist at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, to discuss how the agency is planning to fight wildfires during the […]
The Australian Bushfire Crisis
Australia is on fire. The current Australian bushfire season has been the worst in recent history, burning an estimated 26 million acres across the continent, particularly in the south-east. Last month, the New South Wales Government declared a state of emergency due to record-breaking temperatures and drought. An estimated six thousand buildings have been destroyed […]
Rebroadcast: Wildfires and Disaster Response
Today’s episode is a rebroadcast from January 7, 2019. As wildfire season approaches again, we return to this conversation with guest Dave Lowe, who works for the US Forest Service and is one of two fireline archaeologists in the state of Wisconsin. Over the course of the hour, he and Patty discuss the particular hazards […]
The Role of Archaeology in Wildfire and Disaster Response
What are fireline archaeologists and what is their role in firefighting and other disaster management? We learn about this profession on today’s episode with guest Dave Lowe, who works for the US Forest Service and is one of two fireline archaeologists in the state of Wisconsin. Over the course of the hour, he and Patty […]
The Year of Fire: Wildfires, Nature, and Culture
The Carr Fire. The Ferguson Fire. The Cranston Fire. The Substation Fire. 2018 has been the year of fire, with wildfires raging in the Western U.S., Canada, and throughout Europe. On today’s episode, Patty interviews fire historian Stephen J. Pyne about the history and politics of firefighting, media coverage of wildfires, and why Smokey Bear […]
