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Fires in the Night: The Earth Liberation Front, the FBI, and a Secret History of Eco-Sabotage
The explosive true story of a secret group of radicals who launched a clandestine battle to save the planet—and what their legacy illuminates about the past, present, and future of the environmental movement
In the early hours of October 28, 1996, a driver in rural Oregon spotted flames rising from a federal ranger station. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, but not before discovering a cryptic phrase spray-painted on a nearby “EARTH LIBERATION FRONT.” Over the next decade, the Earth Liberation Front would carry out the most audacious series of politically motivated arsons in American history. Their targets—car dealerships, slaughterhouses, lumber companies, a $20 million Vail ski resort—were chosen to send a if the government wouldn’t halt the destruction of the natural world, they would. Despite causing no deaths, the ELF would soon be branded the foremost domestic terrorism threat in America and become the target of one of the FBI’s largest investigations.
Fires in the Night is the definitive story of the ELF’s rise and unraveling, stretching from the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest to the Seattle streets of 1999’s legendary WTO protests to the paranoid aftermath of September 11. For years, members of ELF, many of them close friends, led double lives, meticulously planning and staging their attacks, using secret book clubs, dead drops, and anonymouse communiques, while trying to manage interpersonal friction and stay one step ahead of a relentless task force of police and federal agents. Drawing on years of original reporting and interviews, including with reclusive activists breaking their silence for the first time, as well as thousands of pages of unreleased investigative files, journalist Matthew Wolfe offers a thrilling, intimate account of a moment in American life when the actions of radical environmentalists challenged mainstream complacency. As the climate crisis continues to accelerate, Wolfe asks the most pressing question of our facing the end of the world as we know it, exactly what kind of resistance is justified?
In the early hours of October 28, 1996, a driver in rural Oregon spotted flames rising from a federal ranger station. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, but not before discovering a cryptic phrase spray-painted on a nearby “EARTH LIBERATION FRONT.” Over the next decade, the Earth Liberation Front would carry out the most audacious series of politically motivated arsons in American history. Their targets—car dealerships, slaughterhouses, lumber companies, a $20 million Vail ski resort—were chosen to send a if the government wouldn’t halt the destruction of the natural world, they would. Despite causing no deaths, the ELF would soon be branded the foremost domestic terrorism threat in America and become the target of one of the FBI’s largest investigations.
Fires in the Night is the definitive story of the ELF’s rise and unraveling, stretching from the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest to the Seattle streets of 1999’s legendary WTO protests to the paranoid aftermath of September 11. For years, members of ELF, many of them close friends, led double lives, meticulously planning and staging their attacks, using secret book clubs, dead drops, and anonymouse communiques, while trying to manage interpersonal friction and stay one step ahead of a relentless task force of police and federal agents. Drawing on years of original reporting and interviews, including with reclusive activists breaking their silence for the first time, as well as thousands of pages of unreleased investigative files, journalist Matthew Wolfe offers a thrilling, intimate account of a moment in American life when the actions of radical environmentalists challenged mainstream complacency. As the climate crisis continues to accelerate, Wolfe asks the most pressing question of our facing the end of the world as we know it, exactly what kind of resistance is justified?
368 pages, Hardcover
First published June 23, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
2026
March 12, 2026Non-fiction November TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Viking
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Viking
May 9, 2026
Excellent reporting about eco terrorists in the late 80s and early 2000s. This one covers all the bases.
The only drawback for me was the nature of the story. Let me explain. To tell the history completely, as Mr. Wolfe does here, there are numerous characters with similar story lines. This can lead to seeming that the overall story is repeating itself.
That said this was a true triumph of historical story telling about an under valued time. Perfect for both history and true crime fans! 3 1/2 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the digital ARC of this work in exchange for an honest review.
The only drawback for me was the nature of the story. Let me explain. To tell the history completely, as Mr. Wolfe does here, there are numerous characters with similar story lines. This can lead to seeming that the overall story is repeating itself.
That said this was a true triumph of historical story telling about an under valued time. Perfect for both history and true crime fans! 3 1/2 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the digital ARC of this work in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Setting fires that no one asked for is not nice. If you do them a certain way, they can even become terrorism. For the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), setting fires was kind of their thing for a while. (Side note: I am sorry but ELF is not a great name if you are trying to scare people.) Author Matthew Wolfe looks at a specific cell of ELF from the end of the 1990s that was quite successful in the fire-setting, but not much else.
My initial hesitation before reading this book was going to be bias. The environment is somehow very controversial nowadays, and I didn't know if Wolfe would use this story to rail against the government, environmentalists, or corporations. I have great news, everyone. Wolfe basically calls it down the middle. Yes, I'd say he probably gives the weakest defense to corporations and one particular government official, but otherwise, the ELF, FBI, and other assorted governments acronyms are treated equally. Each of them has a point but the counterpoints are also laid out for the reader. I personally felt that Wolfe was fair throughout the story.
And what a story it is. ELF operates almost independently from itself. People come together, do some sabotage, and then return to their own lives. The cell in the book is based out of the Pacific Northwest and the characters are extremely interesting. Please note that "interesting" does not mean likable. Wolfe lets these people be people, and it means the entire plot is that much more interesting. There is not a single wasted chapter even though Wolfe has to balance more than a dozen main characters. The missions are covered with some detail and the ending is satisfying with a tinge of sadness. This is Wolfe's first book, and he nails it.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and Viking Books.)
My initial hesitation before reading this book was going to be bias. The environment is somehow very controversial nowadays, and I didn't know if Wolfe would use this story to rail against the government, environmentalists, or corporations. I have great news, everyone. Wolfe basically calls it down the middle. Yes, I'd say he probably gives the weakest defense to corporations and one particular government official, but otherwise, the ELF, FBI, and other assorted governments acronyms are treated equally. Each of them has a point but the counterpoints are also laid out for the reader. I personally felt that Wolfe was fair throughout the story.
And what a story it is. ELF operates almost independently from itself. People come together, do some sabotage, and then return to their own lives. The cell in the book is based out of the Pacific Northwest and the characters are extremely interesting. Please note that "interesting" does not mean likable. Wolfe lets these people be people, and it means the entire plot is that much more interesting. There is not a single wasted chapter even though Wolfe has to balance more than a dozen main characters. The missions are covered with some detail and the ending is satisfying with a tinge of sadness. This is Wolfe's first book, and he nails it.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and Viking Books.)
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Fires in the Night is a gripping, clear‑eyed excavation of the Earth Liberation Front’s rise and the federal machinery that mobilized to stop it, told with the pacing of a thriller and the rigor of investigative journalism. Wolfe traces the blurred line between idealism and extremism, showing how environmental desperation hardened into sabotage and how the FBI’s pursuit became its own story of obsession, overreach, and political theater. What makes the book compelling is its refusal to flatten anyone into hero or villain; instead, it reveals a landscape of moral ambiguity where ecological grief, state power, and personal conviction collide. It’s a propulsive, unsettling look at the costs of fighting for a burning planet.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This was definitely a great nonfiction book and points a light in the direction of corruption in the world. I didn't agree with their methods, but it boggles my mind to know that they where given harsher sentences than pedophiles and rapist. It was definitely an eye opening read!
Review of advance copy received from Author
The 5 stars are for my wife who put up with me while writing this book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews