About this episode

This episode features an interview with fire historians Stephen Pyne and Tom Nichols discussing fire management in the U.S. and the National Park Service.

In the Charm of the Wilderness book project, I’m using the natural elements to shape the narrative. That theme guides each park or trip. The first of all of those was a trip to Yosemite National Park I took last year that centered on fire. The two guys I interview this week played a big role in understanding the landscape of fire and fire management in the United States and the National Park Service and I’m excited for you two get to hear from them. Stephen Pyne is emeritus professor from Arizona State University and one of the preeminent fire historians in the United States. His work includes The Pyrocene: How We Created an Age of Fire, and What Happens Next and the book that helped me learn about fire and fire management in Yosemite, Pyrocene Park: A Journey into the Fire History of Yosemite National Park . Tom Nichols was the chief of fire and aviation for the National Park Service from 2005-2014. Worked in NPS from 1977-2014. Note: I very clearly made a error in the video/audio with Tom’s bio noting his position with the NPS was from 2015 to 2014—the correct dates are 2005 to 2014. Cramming for the Apocalypse is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support…

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• Charm of the Wilderness Ep. 5 - Diversity in the Outdoors and National Parks with KangJae Jerry Lee · June 16, 2026 · 39 min

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