Wildfire isn’t just a "West Coast issue" anymore—it’s a growing threat that’s spreading across the entire country. But how do we actually stay ahead of it?

In this episode of Catching Wildfire, I’m sitting down with Renny Vandeweg, General Manager at DTN Weather, and my co-host, Chief Kim "Chief Z" Zagaras. We’re diving deep into the massive technological shift happening in public safety.

We move past the old-school methods of fire tracking and look at how modern AI, high-res atmospheric modeling, and satellite data are actually being used by utilities, insurance, and fire agencies to predict wildfire impact before the first spark even happens. We also discuss why all that fancy tech is useless if you don't have reliable connectivity on the fire line—and why the human element (that "gut instinct") is still the most important part of the job.

Whether you're in the fire service, working in public safety, or just curious about how we’re using data to solve these massive environmental threats, this one’s for you.

Topics covered:

- Why wildfire risk is changing and spreading nationwide.

-The difference between just "forecasting weather" and "predicting impact."

- How AI is helping us model fire spread with insane precision.

- The critical role of connectivity (like FirstNet) in getting info to the front lines.

- Why the "old ways" of observing the weather still matter.

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