Elegantly written and abundantly informative, Timothy Egan’s The Big Burn tells the dramatic story of the 1910 wildfire that tore through Washington, Idaho, and Montana, burning over 3 million acres in just two days. 

Egan weaves the riveting story of young up-start towns, the wildfire, and the brave individuals that fought it with the historical setting of the earliest days of the U.S. Forest Service. In doing so, we learn about federal wildfire policy and historical approaches to managing wildfire over the last century—providing context for where wildfire management sits today. 
 
The Big Burn is a must-read for those interested in wildfire management, public lands, and the natural resources in the western U.S.