THE BIG BURN

Well I just got back from vacation and read a few interesting books on the way.

The first book I finished was The Big Burn by Timothy Egan. It is essentially two stories interwoven, the friendship between Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot which lead to the creation of the Forest Service, and the nation's largest wildfire in the summer of 1910. He describes the politics and passion behind the nation's conservation movement and ascribes much credit to the huge wildfire for fanning the flame, so to speak. Much of the book recounted the terrible days and nights the rangers and firefighters spent trying to put out the flames. Many died and many more were severely injured by the flames, smoke, and falling trees.  Another great read about a little known event that had a big impact.