Hotshot firefighting is one of the most physically demanding and dangerous jobs in the United States. River Selby spent seven years as a wildland firefighter, four of them on elite hotshot crews, the teams that jump into the worst blazes in the country.
I sit down with Selby, author of Hotshot: A Life on Fire, about what the job costs and what it teaches. We cover:
Lessons River learned fighting some of the West’s biggest wildfires.
The physical and psychological qualities that build grit and make someone a good hotshot firefighter.
Why proximity to danger brings a proximity to life.
How River proved they belonged on the team as someone who didn’t fit the hotshot mold.
Failures in how the government manages fires, and why it’s led to more extreme fires.
How River’s hard childhood helped them tolerate the hardships of wildfire fighting.
And more …
This episode includes discussion of childhood abuse, addiction, and suicide.
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