The Esperanza Fire

When a jury returns to a packed courtroom to announce its verdict in a capital murder case every noise, even a scraped chair or an opening door, resonates like a high–tension cable snap. Spectators stop rustling in their seats; prosecution and defense lawyers and the accused stiffen into attitudes of wariness; and the judge looks on owlishly. In that atmosphere of heightened expectation the jury entered a Riverside County Superior Court room in southern California to render a decision in the trial of Raymond Oyler, charged with murder for setting the Esperanza Fire of 2006, which killed a five–man Forest Service engine crew sent to fight the blaze. Today, wildland fire is everybody's business, from the White House to the fireground. Wildfires have grown bigger, more intense, more destructive—and more expensive. Federal taxpayers, for example, footed most of the $16 million bill for fighting the Esperanza Fire. But the highest cost was the lives of the five–man crew of Engine 57, the first wildland engine crew ever to be wiped out by flames. They were caught in an "area ignition," which in seconds covered three–quarters of a mile and swept the house they were defending on a dry ridge face, where human dwellings chew into previously wild and still unforgiving territory. John Maclean, award–winning author of three previous books on wildfire disasters, spent more than five years researching the Esperanza Fire and covering the trial of Raymond Oyler. Maclean offers an insider's second–by–second account of the fire and the capture and prosecution of Oyler, the first person ever to be found guilty of murder for setting a wildland fire.

The "vivid" and "electrifying" true story of how five monks saved the oldest Zen Buddhist monastery in the United States from wildfire (San Francisco Chronicle). When a massive wildfire surrounded Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, five monks risked their lives to save it. A gripping narrative as well as a portrait of the Zen path and the ways of wildfire, Fire Monks reveals what it means to meet a crisis with full presence of mind. Zen master and author of the classic Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi established a monastery at Tassajara Hot Springs in 1967, drawn to the location's beauty, peace, and seclusion. Deep in the wilderness east of Big Sur, the center is connected to the outside world by a single unpaved road. The remoteness that makes it an oasis also makes it particularly vulnerable when disaster strikes. If fire entered the canyon, there would be no escape. More than two thousand wildfires, all started by a single lightning storm, blazed across the state of California in June 2008. With resources stretched thin, firefighters advised residents at Tassajara to evacuate early. Most did. A small crew stayed behind, preparing to protect the monastery when the fire arrived. But nothing could have prepared them for what came next. A treacherous shift in weather conditions prompted a final order to evacuate everyone, including all firefighters. As they caravanned up the road, five senior monks made the risky decision to turn back. Relying on their Zen training, they were able to remain in the moment and do the seemingly impossible-to greet the fire not as an enemy to defeat, but as a friend to guide. Fire Monks pivots on the kind of moment some seek and some run from, when life and death hang in simultaneous view. Novices in fire but experts in readiness, the Tassajara monks summoned both intuition and wisdom to face crisis with startling clarity. The result is a profound lesson in the art of living.

The world is burning, and it appears that we are to blame. Conditions that create large-scale fire disasters are occurring more frequently every year, spurred on by global warming. And the potential for damage, loss of life, and greater harm to the environment is staggering. As devastating fires increase throughout the western and southern United States, the number of fires in the Brazilian rain forest continues to increase as well. Vast areas of the wilderness are dying throughout the West, setting the stage for a human and environmental tragedy. David L. Porter has been covering wild fires in the west for more than twelve years. After losing his home to a wildfire in 2003, he set out to find how and why this was happening, not only in the western US, but around the world. Hell on Earth chronicles the origins of these catastrophes as well as the effects they are having on our planet. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A fascinating look at how scientists solve today's mysteries and centuries-old "cold cases." Savvy investigative work and scientific knowledge combine to answer perplexing questions and to uncover long-unknown truths. Using a trail of evidence -- clues, careful observation, laboratories and new testing protocols -- scientists reveal intriguing answers to such questions as: What really killed Beethoven? Are the Hitler diaries real or fakes? The stories and sidebars show how scientists collect clues, analyse them, test theories, and arrive at solutions -- or gather enough evidence to support further investigation. The cases involve branches of science as wide-ranging as astronomy and biochemistry to geology and physics. These are gripping high-interest stories for middle-grade non-fiction lovers, with Canadian content throughout. A helpful index and glossary are also provided.

Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft Systems is the editors’ response to their unsuccessful search for suitable university-level textbooks on this subject. A collection of contributions from top experts, this book applies the depth of their expertise to identify and survey the fundamentals of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations. Written from a nonengineering civilian operational perspective, the book starts by detailing the history of UASs and then explores current technology and what is expected for the future. Covering all facets of UAS elements and operation—including an examination of safety procedures and human factors—this material gives readers a truly complete and practical understanding of what it takes to safely operate UASs for a variety of missions in the National Airspace System. Topics covered include: The U.S. aviation regulatory system Certificate of authorization process UAS for geospatial data Automation and autonomy in UAS Sensors and payloads With helpful end-of-chapter discussion questions, this resource is designed to give beginning university students and other new entrants to the field a comprehensive, easy-to-understand first overview of the field. The book’s broad scope also makes it useful as a foundation for professionals embarking on further study.

The biggest firestorm documented in North America—3,500,000 acres of forest burned in northern Alberta and British Columbia—created the world's largest smoke layer in the atmosphere. The smoke was seen around the world, causing the moon and the sun to appear blue. The Chinchaga Firestorm is a historical study of the effects of fire on the ecological process. Using technical explanations and archival discoveries, the author shows the beneficial yet destructive effects of forest fires, including the 2011 devastation of Slave Lake, Alberta. Cordy Tymstra tells the stories of communities and individuals as their lives intersected with the path of the wildfire—stories that demonstrate people's spirit, resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and persistence in the struggle against nature's devastating power. The 1950 event changed the way these fires are fought in Alberta. Forest fire scientists, foresters, forest ecologists and policy makers, as well as those who are interested in western Canadian history and ecology, will definitely want this book in their library.

Editor’s Opinion is an homage to Bobby Halton, Editor in Memoriam of Fire Engineering Magazine. Over his 18 years as Editor-in-Chief, Halton contributed a number of pieces on critical topics to the fire service in his monthly "Editor’s Opinion” column – all of which are now gathered in this book. Take a look at Halton’s unique perspective on everything from social media, to the importance of spending time together as a company, and the importance of educating not only the men and women in the fire service, but also our communities and the next generation of firefighters. “Bobby Halton represented the core essence of the fire service...He wove his editorials into philosophical motivators for readers, encouraging them to think and act.” -Glenn Corbett, Technical Editor, Fire Engineering