Show transcript

On September 2, 2017, 150 hikers in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge were suddenly and terrifyingly trapped near Punch Bowl Falls by the Eagle Creek Fire, a human-caused forest fire that burned for three months and decimated some 50,000 acres in one of the most unique, beloved and popular scenic areas of the Pacific Northwest. Episode one of Wildfire tells these hikers’ story and explores the broader issue of forest fires and their often misunderstood and contentious place in the natural order of our forests.

Key takeaways:

More About the Wildfire Podcast

Forest fires and the destruction they cause are not black and white phenomenon, and they cannot be understood without looking closely at the issues that swirl and mutate around the subject of wildfire as much as the fires themselves.

In Wildfire, hosts Graham Zimmerman and Jim Aikman explore the natural forest habitats in which wildfires burn, and how humans have historically interacted with forest fires and fire-susceptible terrain. Graham and Jim lead us into wild places impacted by forest fire; into history books; into conversations with scientists, naturalists, firefighters and politicians; and into the story of the destructive 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, a human-caused forest fire that forever changed Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge, one of the most unique and beloved scenic areas in the Pacific Northwest.

Guided by the story of the Eagle Creek Fire—and the ordeal of the 150 hikers who were unexpectedly trapped behind its towering flames—Wildfire explores how, over the last 100 years in the United States, we have demonized and sought to suppress wildfire in an effort to preserve natural resources, scenic spaces, and, of course, human civilization.

Connect with the hosts

You can see more of Graham and Jim's work through their production company, Bedrock Film Works.