The Hotshot Collection

The Smokey Generation began by collecting stories from current and former Hotshots. Why? Because Bethany, the founder, was a hotshot for six seasons and those were the folks who agreed to sit down with her! Who are the hotshots? Interagency Hotshot Crews, “Hotshots” or “‘shots” for short, are diverse, 20-person Type I handcrews (teams of wildland firefighters). Hotshots are required to meet specific physical fitness standards, training requirements, and maintain consistent operational parameters. Hotshot crews are used primarily as initial and extended attack national resources and travel throughout the country completing wildland fire suppression activities under a variety of conditions.

Below are a few select stories from the interviews we’ve collected so far. There are many, many more on the way (including ten hotshot interviews currently in the editing queue) and we’d encourage you to explore the full interviews listed below (also posted on the Stories by Person page). Enjoy!

Divider Select Stories
Click on the boxes below to watch some of our favorite stories from the interviews collected from current and former Hotshots.

Divider

Full Interviews
In many cases, interviewees have worked in different aspects of wildland fire management and suppression, but are included here because their interview focused on their hotshot experiences. To listen to the full interviews, click on the images below.

Brian Anderson, Hotshot Superintendent

Charlie Caldwell, Retired Hotshot Superintendent

Dirk Charley, USFS Tribal Relations Prog. Mgr

Brent Corkish, Hotshot Sawyer

Drew Derrick, Hotshot Senior Firefighter

Drew Derrick, Hotshot Senior Firefighter

Rigo Flores, Hotshot Lead Firefighter

Rigo Flores, Hotshot Lead Firefighter

Ron Garcia, Dist. Fire Management Officer

Ron Garcia, Dist. Fire Management Officer

Nick Glatt, Hotshot Lead Firefighter

Nick Glatt, Hotshot Lead Firefighter

Steve Griffin, N. CA Fire Training Officer

Adam Hernandez, Hotshot Captain

Adam Hernandez, Hotshot Captain

Ken Jordan, Retired Hotshot Superintendent

Ken Jordan, Retired Hotshot Superintendent

Matt Kennedy, Hotshot Superintendent

Matt Kennedy, Hotshot Superintendent

Erin Kimsey, Hotshot Senior Firefighter

Erin Kimsey, Hotshot Senior Firefighter

Brian Laird, Hotshot Captain

Brian Laird, Hotshot Captain

Jeff Locke, Hotshot Superintendent

Jeff Locke, Hotshot Superintendent

Dan Mallia, Hotshot Superintendent

Nick Robison, Hotshot Squad Leader

Nick Robison, Hotshot Squad Leader

Stephanie Rogers, Hotshot Crewmember

Stephanie Rogers, Hotshot Crewmember

Cameron Stinchfield, Detailed Assistant Hotshot Superintendent

Cameron Stinchfield, Detailed Asst. Hotshot Supt.

Thorne

Andy Thorne, Retired Captain & Smokejumper

More-Coming-Soon..

Divider