1888: The How, The Why

When we started this project in August of 2024 we were focused on the fact that 18 out of the 20 most destructive fires in California’s history have happened in the last 25 years, and 15 of them in the last 10 years. Everything changed when we started recording and fires spread all over the region. If you live in the Western United States, there is a high likelihood you have been directly or indirectly affected by wildfires. That is why we launched this series, to explore this phenomenon and connect with those who have studied fires, written about fires, fought the fires on the ground, raised funds to protect the land, and created technology to keep all of us aware of where the fire is and where we need to be to remain safe.This is an introduction to Season One of The Fire Problem. In this episode we document the year 2025, with context from our past, and we learn moving forward. In this episode we highlight conversations with guests from this series, including award-winning author, John Vaillant, who talks a