Scorched Earth: How the Fires of Yellowstone Changed America

by Rocky Barker

In 1988, forest fires raged in Yellowstone National Park, destroying more than a million acres. As the nation watched the land around Old Faithful burn, a longstanding conflict over fire management reached a fever pitch. Should the U.S. Park and Forest Services suppress fires immediately or allow some to run their natural course? When should firefighters be sent to battle the flames and at what cost?
In Scorched Earth, Barker, an environmental reporter who was on the ground and in the smoke during the 1988 fires, shows us that many of today's arguments over fire and the nature of public land began to take shape soon after the Civil War. As Barker explains, how the government responded to early fires in Yellowstone and to private investors in the region led ultimately to the protection of 600 million acres of public lands in the United States. Barker uses his considerable narrative talents to bring to life a fascinating, but often neglected, piece of American history. Scorched Earth lays a new foundation for examining current fire and environmental policies in America and the world.
Our story begins when the West was yet to be won, with a colorful cast of a civil war general and his soldiers, America's first investment banker, railroad men, naturalists, and fire-fighters-all of whom left their mark on Yellowstone. As the truth behind the creation of America's first national park is revealed, we discover the remarkable role the U.S. Army played in protecting Yellowstone and shaping public lands in the West. And we see the developing efforts of conservation's great figures as they struggled to preserve our heritage. With vivid descriptions of the famous fires that have raged in Yellowstone, the heroes who have tried to protect it, and the strategies that evolved as a result, Barker draws us into the very heart of a debate over our attempts to control nature and people.
This entertaining and timely book challenges the traditional views both of those who arrogantly seek full control of nature and those who naively believe we can leave it unaltered. And it demonstrates how much of our broader environmental history was shaped in the lands of Yellowstone.

Genres: Nonfiction, Natural History, Environment

288 pages, Hardcover

First published September 19, 2005

Reviews

[Nancy Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subtitle of this book suggests that it will talk about the results of the 1988 fires in Yellowstone. However, most of this book talks about the complicated and politically charged history of resource management policies leading up to the fires.

[Eunice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I live in the Yellowstone area and remember the Yellowstone fires as a young teenager, so this was very interesting to me. It more about the history of fire management as a whole in the west than specifically about the 1988 Ystone fires- that's actually a pretty small part. It gets a little slow and detailed in the middle (the danger of non-fiction, IMO), but Barker injects humor, detailed research and his own opinion along the way, keeping it thought provoking and mildly entertaining. Definitely recommend to non-fiction lovers, science and history fans. Enjoy!

[Matt]

Excellent book if you are at all interested in the history of our National Parks, the role of fire in forest ecosystems, the history of Yellowstone, or the fathers of modern environmentalism such as John Muir and Gifford Pinchot. I read this book 12 years ago when I bought it in Yellowstone, and I'm thoroughly enjoying reading it again.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise and pragmatic - a summary of fire in shaping not only the landscape itself but the history and approach to public lands in America. Thought provoking and well referenced. What are humans in the context of wilderness, what is conservation, how much can and should we control?

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected it to be more about the Yellowstone fire.
Was more about the beginning of Yellowstone and the politics that shaped the growth of different government agencies, such as the NPS.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history of the National Parks, the US Forest Service, and fire/ecosystem policy. Plenty of familiar characters, including Teddy Roosevelt, Aldo Leopold, Gifford Pinchot, and John Muir...and of course the fires themselves, both the 1988 conflagration others before and since. I was lucky enough to take a few extended backpacking trips in Yellowstone in 1990, just 2 years after the fires, and while stark, there was an abundance of life that was positively flourishing. I finally got around to reading this book...if you have any interest in land use policy, the national parks, or environmental history, give it another star; it is well worth reading.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting summary of the creation of the Forestry Service, the National Parks system, and the fire suppression policy of the twentieth century along with the blow up at Yellowstone in 1988. It was written by a journalist, and you can tell. Otherwise, it was interesting. I can't believe how many Civil War vets went West and ended up radically shaping things there (here).

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read. I expected more about the 1988 Yellowstone fires but I really enjoyed all the history of the USFS, NPS and Yellowstone. History tends to play a major role in these events and it was really great to get the back story. I definitely recommend this one.

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great history on fire management through the eyes of Yellowstone. Yet again, Yellowstone policy sets the standard for the nation. Superb!

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent history of how forest fire shaped America's national parks.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned so much about the history of the Forest Service and the National Park Service and the long long history of fire suppression. Fire isn't good or bad, it just is.