Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Wildfire, fire management and air quality news for western Montana and the Northern Rockies.

Fireline Episode 03: Ring Of Fire

Fireline Episode 03: Ring of Fire
Fireline Episode 03: Ring of Fire

The connection between humans and fire goes back millions of years. What started with campfires and cooking grew into a burning addiction that catalyzed the Industrial Revolution and now shapes nearly every aspect of our society. Now, our ongoing reliance on fire in its many forms is changing the climate with explosive consequences for wildfires — and much more.

  • Richard Wrangham is emeritus professor at Harvard University and the author of Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human
  • Jennifer Balch is a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the director of the Earth Lab at the University.
  • Cathy Whitlock is a regents professor at Montana State University, and the director of the MSU Paleoecology Lab.

Get the latest Montana wildfire, fire management and air quality news on your radio, via podcast, or in your inbox.

Nick Mott is a reporter and podcast producer based in Livingston, Montana.
Become a sustaining member for as low as $5/month
Make an annual or one-time donation to support MTPR
Pay an existing pledge or update your payment information
Related Content
  • By just about every measure, wildfires are getting bigger, hotter, and more devastating than we’ve ever seen before. But what all that fire means — and what to do about it — depends on who you ask. Learn more with Fireline, a six part series about what wildfire means for the West, the world and our way of life.
  • Wildfires across the country are getting bigger, hotter and more devastating. But what’s all this fire really mean — for the West, for firefighters and for everyday folks? Tag along with a firefighter in this episode of Fireline.
  • In 1910, a wildfire the size of Connecticut engulfed parts of Montana, Idaho and Washington. Ed Pulaski and his crew were among the many people trapped by the enormous blaze. The Big Burn, as it came to be known, helped propel a culture of fire suppression that still persists in many forms. What does that massive fire mean for the way our society deals with the wildfires of today?