Welcome Michelle Friess, Flight Operations Coordinator at Bridger Aerospace, one of the leading companies in aerial wildfire suppression. Michelle schedules scooper pilots, coordinates operations across a growing national fleet, and helps ensure fire aircraft and crews are where they’re needed—fast.

🎯 Topics Covered:

-What it’s like managing aircraft and crews during fire season

-Why wildfires are now a year-round threat

-The growing role of super scoopers and aerial firefighting

-Bridger’s plans to expand its fleet (from 16+ aircraft and beyond)

-Challenges with pilot scheduling, maintenance, and federal contracts

-The emotional side of the job and the respect for ground crews

-Mentorship, women in fire aviation, and why wildfire feels like family

🌎 Michelle also shares how her path—from garbage site support in Oregon to wildfire aviation—proves that anyone with grit and purpose can have impact.

Wildfire Expert Keith Parker on ICS, Firefighting Evolution, and Leadership Lessons

Former Marin County Fire Marshal Keith Parker joins The Fire Break to reflect on 33 years in wildland fire. From the early days before ICS to today’s high-tech firefighting, Keith shares battle-tested wisdom on:

🚒 Crew safety & command
🛰️ Equipment evolution (dozers, aircraft, engines)
📻 ICS: flexibility vs. rigidity
🧭 What’s broken in fire investigation today
🌲 Fuel mitigation vs. community resistance
🧑‍🚒 Why we’re losing career firefighters—and how to fix it

What if we could model the chemistry of wildfire down to the molecule—and stop it before it spreads? Nigerian wildfire researcher Abraham Zhiri joins Steve Wolf from Cambridge University to explore how fluid dynamics, heat equations, and detonation models are reshaping how we understand and suppress fire. Abraham shares his journey from the forests of Nigeria to a lab in the UK, where he's modeling the fine line between ignition and containment. Together, they unpack the fire triangle, the role of moisture, the surprising power of animal firebrands, and why removing heat might be our best suppression strategy. This episode dives deep into the science of wildfire—and offers a hopeful look at the math behind better outcomes.

Can a blanket help firefighters and first responders sleep better? Elizabeth Grojean, founder of Baloo Living, says yes—and the science backs her up.

Elizabeth Grojean left the corporate world for Bali and returned with a mission: to help people sleep better through the power of deep pressure touch. Her company, Baloo Living, makes weighted blankets designed to calm the nervous system and improve sleep quality—especially for those under extreme stress.

💤 Learn how weighted blankets trigger serotonin and melatonin production
🧠 Discover the link between deep pressure touch and reduced cortisol
🚒 Hear why first responders are especially vulnerable to sleep deprivation
📊 Explore the results of Baloo’s sleep study: 92% sleep efficiency, 27% faster sleep onset
🌿 Understand the importance of breathable, sustainable materials in sleep products
👶 Find out how toddlers and adults alike benefit from the "hug effect"

Elizabeth also shares her entrepreneurial journey, from a life-changing sabbatical in Bali to building a wellness brand that supports frontline workers and families alike.

🎁 First responders can use code THANKYOU20 at balooliving.com for 20% off.

How do military strategy, AI, and community resilience come together in wildfire response? Robert Baird breaks it down in this essential Fire Break episode.

In this extended conversation, host Steve Wolf sits down with Robert Baird—retired U.S. Marine and former Fire Director for Region 5 of the U.S. Forest Service—to explore the intersection of wildfire leadership, military strategy, risk communication, and tech. They dig into:

• AI as decision support vs. data overload

• Firefighting through the lens of national security

• Why visualizing risk changes behavior

• Human vs. robotic firefighting

• Complacency, culture, and command in high-risk operations

• And why we need a World War II–scale mobilization to face the wildfire crisis

Baird draws from decades of leadership—from Iraq and Afghanistan to the Los Padres National Forest—to deliver a clear-eyed view on what needs to change, and how.

How can small fire departments survive big wildfires? Chief Dave Robertson is a veteran fire officer with deep experience in both California and Canada. From Napa County to Toronto, Chief Robertson has seen the limits of our current fire response—and he's here to talk about what needs to change.

Why are most departments unprepared for today’s wildfire scale?

Is AI the answer, or do we still need human intuition on the line?
How do we fight firefighter complacency—and hire for character, not just resume?

Whether you're a firefighter, policymaker, or wildfire tech innovator, this conversation reveals hard truths, smart strategies, and inspiring stories—including how small towns can prepare for big disasters. Plus: should robots help us fight fire? And what does leadership really look like when the smoke rolls in?

Can AI-powered launchers defend your home from wildfires like Israel's Iron Dome stops rockets? Steve Wolf meets Gadi Benjamini and Adi Pomerantz, the co-founders of FireDome—a revolutionary startup using smart capsules and military-inspired tech to build instant fire breaks and intercept embers before they ignite. Tune in to hear how FireDome blends AI, environmental data, and micro-targeted suppression to protect high-risk properties—and what it means for insurance, vineyards, and the future of fire defense.

How do we build wildfire resilience before disaster strikes? Rebecca Samulski, Executive Director of Fire Adapted Colorado, about what it really means to live with fire instead of fighting against it. From coordinating a statewide network of wildfire mitigation professionals to empowering neighborhood ambassadors, Rebecca shares how her team is changing the game for fire-prone communities. They dig into the difference between prevention and mitigation, the psychology behind community action, and why “resilience” isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a survival strategy. Whether you’re a homeowner, policymaker, or firefighter, this conversation reveals the people-first approach to building safer landscapes, stronger neighborhoods, and smarter fire policy.

What happens when a coastal paradise gets redrawn as wildfire territory? Santa Monica Fire Marshal Joe Cavin reveals how wildfire rezoning, emergency evacuations, and fire-hardened building codes are transforming one of California’s most iconic cities.

Cavin discusses the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, the scramble to relocate five displaced schools, and the controversial rollout of the Fire Hazard Severity Zones—which now include parts of Santa Monica for the first time ever. From one-way street evacuations and red flag warnings to insurance chaos, looting fears, and single stairwell construction debates, this episode uncovers the tough calls and fast pivots behind urban fire protection.

Whether you're a city official, a firefighter, or a homeowner facing rising fire risk, Joe’s ground-level insights and straight talk will leave you thinking differently about what it takes to keep a city standing when the ember storm hits.

Discover how AI and satellites are transforming wildfire detection with OroraTech CEO Thomas Grübler. Grübler talks about OroraTech’s global satellite constellation, real-time fire mapping, and predictive modeling that’s helping fire agencies around the world act faster and smarter. From launching 10 satellites to mapping fires the size of a car, Grübler shares how this tech is already saving lives—and what’s next for their U.S. expansion. Tune in for a fascinating look at how space, sensors, and strategy are changing the fight against fire.