AirSpace

Smoke From a Distant Fire


Listen Later

Wildfire season is getting longer, according to the US Forest Service, making firefighting a bigger, more vital operation each year. In this episode, Emily, Matt, and Nick take a look at how the pros fight wildfires with everything from large water-carrying airtankers and helicopters to daring smokejumpers who parachute into the blaze strapped with axes, shovels, and chainsaws. We’ll introduce you to a few of the people who put their lives on the line to keep us and our forests safe and discuss how changes in technology, climate, and communication are impacting aerial firefighting.

We’ll hear from Chelsea Cough, a smokejumper based in Missoula, Montana, about what it’s like to parachute into forest fires too remote to reach over land. And Matt travels out to Utah to the site of an active wildfire where over 1000 people were involved in coordinated air and ground efforts to contain and suppress the flames.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

AirSpaceBy National Air and Space Museum

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

195 ratings


More shows like AirSpace

View all
Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,926 Listeners

Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,106 Listeners

Planet Money by NPR

Planet Money

30,684 Listeners

99% Invisible by Roman Mars

99% Invisible

26,199 Listeners

Outside Podcast by Outside

Outside Podcast

2,146 Listeners

Imaginary Worlds by Eric Molinsky | Daylight Media

Imaginary Worlds

1,994 Listeners

Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,445 Listeners

Sidedoor by Smithsonian Institution

Sidedoor

2,247 Listeners

Twenty Thousand Hertz by Dallas Taylor

Twenty Thousand Hertz

4,199 Listeners

Endless Thread by WBUR

Endless Thread

2,674 Listeners

Decoder Ring by Slate Podcasts

Decoder Ring

2,127 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

16,397 Listeners

Short Wave by NPR

Short Wave

6,557 Listeners

The Economics of Everyday Things by Freakonomics Network & Zachary Crockett

The Economics of Everyday Things

1,635 Listeners

1440 Explores by 1440 Media

1440 Explores

405 Listeners