Wild Fire: Dispatches from a Country Ablaze

by Jesse Winter

Award-winning journalist Jesse Winter takes us on a dangerous and often heroic journey to the frontlines of three Canadian wildfires, introducing readers to firefighters, volunteers and others who are facing the country’s most devastating infernos

In Wild Fire, Jesse Winter takes readers on a dramatic and riveting journey to the frontlines of some of Canada’s most devastating blazes. Weaving together incredible stories of everyday courage, danger and disaster, Winter offers a unique view into our current peril—sharing invaluable insight from those who’ve faced down Canada’s hungriest infernos.

Across British Columbia, he encounters terrifying close calls and unbelievable bravery. In Jasper, he meets the tireless volunteer firefighters who answer the town’s urgent call for help. And, in the Far North, he hears from residents who band together as the fires blaze closer and closer. At each site, he also confronts a system buckling under the pressure of previously unimaginable fire. Since 2020, wildfires have, on average, burned through five times more square kilometres than they did in the 1970s—destroying an area twice the size of Vancouver Island every summer.

As Winter journeys to the country’s most fire-prone areas, he asks what we’re getting right and also examines what we’re getting perilously wrong. From there, he makes the compelling case that if Canada wants to survive its inevitably hot future, it needs to take the hard-won lessons of such local communities to heart. The end result is an account that feels immediate and intimate, urgent and hopeful.

Genres: Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2026

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this as someone who 1) works for BCWS and 2) has a partner who was on Adams/Rossmoore and was followed along by Jesse for this book…was tough.

Jesse takes such a thoughtful approach in showing what our crews face on the ground with the ever growing challenges that global warming and forest mismanagement are adding to the fight.

The sensitivity in which IMT 5’s planned ignition on Adams was discussed by Jesse was also greatly appreciated; those with little fire background are quick to judge actions that ultimately saved a town from much more damage in the long run had that ignition not happened. IC’s are faced with extremely tough decisions to make in the face of emergencies, and not every call is as simple as it seems, clearly shown in Healy’s actions.

Hopefully this read is a wake up call for those content with paying BC wildfire firefighters pennies…

[Amanda (amanda.always.reading) Magdic]

Having worked through several of the major wildfire seasons in the past decade and half here in Alberta and assisting in most of the town evacuations I was really intrigued when I saw the release of this book and knew it was one I was going to want to read.

Winters takes you to the front lines of the devastation caused by an ever worsening cycle of fires across Canada (and the world), especially on the western side of the country in BC and Alberta. Focusing on the years between 2023-2025. The author takes an in depth look at not just the environmental causes of the fires but the lack of preventative measures governments continue to fail to take that exacerbate the catastrophic destruction. I really appreciated his no holds barred look at the lack of transparency from the governments and the total communication failures from the multitudes of agencies involved and the public. Especially when it comes to timely evacuations.

While the book is technical, it's also very engaging. I love the storytelling draw and heart you get from the portions told from the prospective of the evacuees of the different fires. As well as the fire fighters that lived it from the front lines. Another aspect I really got behind is that Winter's has more than just done his research and shows up to document. He's taken some of the basic level firefighting courses as well so he has a base knowledge behind what he's talking about as well as means to protect himself.

I think the only thing I was really missing from the book that I wanted or was expecting was a picture section as it was a book written by a photo journalist. But you better believe I went and scoped out his insta feed to see some of his images.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating read following the complicated wildfire emergency Canada is in. It does a good job of educating about wildfires as well as capturing the complexity of responding to them. If there's one thing for sure, the wildfire fighters need to be paid more. Provinces should be embarrassed by how little compensation they provide for what they are asking these workers to do.

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wild Fire by Jesse Winters is compelling journalistic nonfiction, drawing on his years spent covering wildfires on the ground and reflecting on what those experiences have taught him. One of the book’s central arguments, that fire is a natural and necessary part of the forest life cycle, stands in stark contrast to the last 200 years of colonial forest management, which has been defined by an almost singular mission to suppress it. Winters makes a convincing case that this approach has left us with forests that are an “overgrown mass of fuel just waiting for a spark,” made even more dangerous by hotter, drier conditions driven by climate change. While he acknowledges the necessity of continued investment in firefighters and water bombers, he frames them as a stopgap rather than a solution, urging a deeper shift toward understanding fire’s role and moving, carefully and deliberately, toward the use of safe, controlled burns.

[Kaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best journalistic non-fiction books I have ever read, and in my opinion, a must-read for Canadians as we confront the effects of climate change in our country. Winter paints a devastating picture of how unprepared we are to fight the fires that Canadians can expect to see for the rest of the 21st century. He critically examines how decades of perfecting wildfire management have left us with forests that are completely overloaded with fuel, perpetuating a cycle of worsening fires, leaving us with the near-apocalyptic fires we see together. He challenges the reader to confront the notion that all fire is bad, clearly laying out how most Canadian forests rely on fire to maintain a healthy, not overgrown, ecosystem.

Winter puts you right in the middle of some of Canada's largest wildfires of recent years, highlighting the bravery of the firefighters who risk their lives in increasingly dangerous situations. Winter's writing is clear and easy to read, weaving together personal accounts, his own experience as a wildfire photojournalist, and governmental reports. He is appropriately scathing in his critiques of governmental bureaucracy which has time and again identified solutions, but failed in investing in the infrastructure necessary to manage and mitigate risk. And he draws attention to real solutions, such as investing in community volunteer firefighters, drawing on the expertise of the Indigenous peoples who have occupied this land for millennia, and opportunities for clear communication between officials and the public.

Truly a standout read, there was so much knowledge packaged into a fast-paced and engaging book.

[Francine Hollinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through the stories of three major Canadian wildfires, the book does an outstanding job of explaining how wildfires start, spread, and become increasingly difficult to control. It clearly shows that wildfires are no longer isolated events but are becoming larger, more frequent, and more destructive, highlighting the urgent need for governments and communities to do more to protect our environment and prepare for a changing climate.

What affected me most was how honestly the book portrays the dangers faced by wildland firefighters. The physical demands, unpredictable conditions, and constant risks they encounter are something many people never fully appreciate. As the parent of a wildland firefighter, I found the book especially meaningful because it helped convey the courage and dedication required to do this job.

Wildfire is both informative and compelling, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to better understand the growing wildfire crisis in Canada and the extraordinary people who work on the front lines to protect our communities.

[Kayla Ivey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Wild Fire” was an outstanding read. It was incredibly educational, teaching me about the science behind wildfires, how they spread, their impact on people and the environment, and the efforts to prevent and fight them. What made this book even better was how engaging it was. It was so well written that I found it hard to put down because I always wanted to know what would happen next. The combination of fascinating facts and compelling storytelling kept me interested from beginning to end. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about nature, science, or real-world events in an exciting way.

[Julie Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the closest you are going to get to fighting a forest fire without actually fighting one. That’s both because of a lot of sharp observation and too much of it in the first third of the book. I liked the pro tips about how communities have trained volunteer crews and how we can help ourselves by cleaning out the gutters on our houses. Great research and good accountability questions for the provincial and territorial fire fighting directors. Of particular interest in the west where the major 2023-24 fires took place.

[Amanda T · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book about how wild fires start, why they are so difficult to contain, the failings of the government on forest management, what can be done to improve forest management and most importantly, stories about the brave men and women in the fire service. It particularly focuses on the terrible 2023 fire season and it wasn't all caused by climate change.

[Enid Wray]

Interesting consideration on the frontlines of wildfire fighting.