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.

Burning out in Canada and Beyond Gina Papke, current Program Specialist and former Hotshot Superintendent, shares stories of several burnout operations, including a classic story about a burnout gone wrong in Canada.

The Dynamics of Being a Superintendent Dan Mallia, Superintendent of the Redding Interagency Hotshot Crew (a developmental crew based out of Northern California), talks about being a young Superintendent and what it feels like to be among other, more experienced Superintendents when developing tactics and strategies on the fireline.

Flash Flood Jeff Locke, current Hotshot Superintendent, talks about the unexpected risks that come with fighting fire. He tells a story about the circumstances around a flash flood that almost took out the crew while on a fire in central California.

Great Burn Show Dan Pickard, a Hotshot Squad Leader, describes a firing operation on a fire in Wyoming in 2012, where the crew was able to save twelve cabins despite experiencing some of the most impressive, explosive fire behavior he's seen in his career.

Shifts That Make You Proud Brian Anderson, a Hotshot Superintendent, describes a memorable firing operation that the crew put a lot of work and ownership into and explains the sense of accomplishment that firefighters get from taking something from beginning to end.

Worst Shift Ever Eric Miller, Hotshot Superintendent, talks about the torrential downpour that he and his crew endured on the Gila National Forest early in his career, constituting the worst shift he can recall. TheSmokeyGeneration.com

Spiking out in Yosemite Nick Robison, a Hotshot Squad Leader, describes a fire from early in his career where the crew flew into Yosemite via helicopter and spiked out on a fire that laid down in the cold temperatures every night and got up and moved through the timber during the day.

Shelter Deployment Ken Jordan, retired Hotshot Superintendent, discusses his experience deploying his fire shelter and surviving a burnover that occurred on the Big Creek Fire on the Sierra National Forest in 1994.

Helicopter Accident, Losing Crewmembers Charlie Caldwell, retired Hotshot Superintendent and Smokejumper, shares about the helicopter accident that killed two of his crewmembers and a detailed smokejumper on the Fork Fire in 1970.

Hotshot Shifts - Part 1 of 3 Rigo Flores, a Lead Firefighter currently detailed into a Hotshot Squad Boss position, tells about a classic Hotshot shift in Northern California, including a particularly challenging hike out at the end of the day.

Two More Chains Dirk Charley, USFS Tribal Relationship Program Manager, discusses how to keep people motivated when they're exhausted, using the classic phrase "two more chains." He also talks about other terminology used commonly on the fireline.

Exhaustion and Dogs in the Neck Brent Corkish, a Hotshot Sawyer, tells about an injury he got while hiking on a fire in California and a funny story about exhaustion during the drive to the hospital.

Chaos and Exhaustion Ron Garcia, District Fire Management Officer, discusses fighting the Cedar Fire in Southern California in 2003, including working the longest shift he's worked in his career. He describes the utter exhaustion he experienced during the first couple days of the assignment.

Rafting the Rogue Stephanie Rogers, a Hotshot Crewmember, describes fighting the Big Windy fire in Oregon in 2013, including the incredible experience of rafting the Rogue River to get access to a spot fire.

Ping Pong Gone Wrong Brian Laird, a Hotshot Captain, tells about an epic burnout operation that started going wrong when a ping pong firing show (a helicopter ignition operation) started putting too much fire on the ground.

Hurricane Katrina Steve Griffin, current Northern California Fire Training Officer and former Hotshot Superintendent, tells about getting dispatched to assist with Hurricane Katrina response with his Hotshot crew. he talks about the sense of pride the crew got from helping with a shelter, as well as the reputation they got with the ladies...for folding a mean load of laundry.

Cutting Through Poison Oak Adam Hernandez, a Hotshot Captain, talks about being a sawyer on a fire where he cut fireline through the biggest wall of poison oak that he's ever seen.

Challenging Shifts Matt Kennedy, Hotshot Superintendent, describes a particularly challenging shift that included prepping for a firing operation that was eventually thwarted by a diurnal wind shift. He also talks about his experience with the 30 Mile fatality incident and the importance of sheltering your crew from unwanted attention after such incidents.

Thundercells and Grass Fires Erin Kimsey, Hotshot Senior Firefighter, tells about an interesting fire in Nevada that provided a variety of challenges, including several instances where the fire got the better of their tactics and a situation with a thundercell that forced the crew to double-time it out their escape route. [some explicit language]

An Unexpected Find Drew Derrick, a Hotshot Senior Firefighter, talks about finding human remains while on a fire in Utah.

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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.