Chasing Smoke

by Aaron Williams

"At first I'm calm as the trees fall. But suddenly a rat's nest of wood, bent horizontal and cribbed into the trees above us, comes down in a rush of a hundred machine gun snaps. Trees caught in the nest flail around before hitting the ground. Our eyes dart everywhere, trying to keep track of every moment. Trees break free and swing themselves like catapults. Splintered chunks of wood slash through the air like propellers... Falling trees is the most dangerous job in North America."


--Aaron Williams


British Columbia's weather and geography--hot dry summers, steep terrain, and population density in forested areas--make it one of the most difficult places in the world to fight forest fires.


Chasing Smoke is an enthralling insider-account of how a fire season unfolds. Experienced firefighter Aaron Williams offers a tangible window into the intensely physical, high-adrenalin lifestyle shared by his crew of eccentrics, all eager to be on the front line. Williams shares what it's like to work sixteen-hour days in an apocalyptic landscape, where the smoke is so thick your snot runs black and you need to drink ten litres of water a day. What it's like to make a stupid mistake and singe your beard in front of your crew, or spend hours hosing a spot the size of a queen mattress and still not extinguish the burn. What it's like to hear a tree fall, a co-worker's shout, and imagine the worst.


From the "curated gauntlet of abuse" that makes up rookie week, until the last length of hose is rolled up at the end of the burn season, Williams chronicles the seasonal existence of a firefighter, all while examining the wider world of firefighting--interweaving the history, mechanics and politics--as well as the micro-world of the small crew who willingly put their lives on the line.

Genres: Nonfiction, Canada, Nature

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 2017

About the author

Aaron Williams fought forest fires in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Idaho from 2006 until 2014. His writing has been published in newspapers such as The Globe and Mail, Halifax Chronicle Herald and the Vancouver Observer. He is currently working on an MFA in creative non-fiction writing at King's College in Halifax, NS.

Reviews

[Barb.hutchinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shout out to Brendan Hutchinson was nice and the wildfire fighting excitement and drudgery were informative but the harping on crew bosses, rookies and others frankly ruined the read.
That said, it’s a short book and you can plow through the bitter carping and gossip to get the good bits.

[Judd Street · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chasing Smoke by Aaron Williams is an autobiographical memoir of his time fighting fires in BC. I'm always grateful to read books that offer firsthand insights into the wildfire experience, and I find that I can always learn from them - Chasing Smoke included. But, for someone looking for this style memoir, I think there are stronger entries in this rapidly growing category.

First, the good: Williams' writing is accessible and it's a quick and easy read. His firsthand experience is quite interesting and offers decent insight into what it's like to work as a firefighter during a quasi-typical season. Indeed, the book is really interesting for sticking with the moments of inaction, before and after the fires, which are reality for many crews. And, it gives us useful insight into his activities during the fire bursts too.

So, why a 2-star review? As I describe on my profile, I tend to assign two star reviews to books that require context or caution for the reader. In this case, I think it's important that the reader know the system to really situate the book in its rightful place. An example of this is with respect to Williams' recurring dislike of 'overhead' and 'air attack' as inevitably giving bad directions. While this is a very common problem in the field (tensions between managers and firefighters), the book gives a pretty one-sided account of this without ever really contextualizing the actual problems. Similarly, while Williams offers a nod to problems of hazing and sexism in the fire service, we never really get into depth in terms of critical reflection on how these issues occur & can be addressed (in fact, there are lots of oddly womanizing vignettes of being attracted to females he encounters, and similar accounts of the bravado, hazing-inspired culture being perpetuated).

In that sense, it's a really useful book. It helps to reveal what frustrates, bothers, motivates, and annoys him throughout his work, thereby helping us to get into the head of some aspects of the firefighting experience. But, it's important for a reader to keep this context in mind as they enjoy his engaging prose.

[Vontel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is so timely, considering the years of big forest fires, this year included, with big fires closer to more populated areas. I would rate it as closer to 3.5. It is a memoir of sorts of the fire season of summer of 2014 in the dry Interior of BC, west of Williams Lake and Prince George, as well as reflections of his earlier fire crew experiences and acquaintances. The author was an experienced (since 2006) forest fire fighter in BC, coming from rainy west coast Prince Rupert and later moved to Halifax. He then started an MFA, and returned to BC in 2017 for forest fire fighting around Williams Lake again.

The book is enhanced with a section of colour photos, which help readers understand the context of fighting forest fires, although obviously no pictures were taken in the most serious and busy situations. Although the writing is a little uneven in places it helps the vast majority of us, as urban dwellers who may sometimes see some of the smoke but not the range of the fires, understand the risks and attractions of this physically and mentally demanding experience to both men and women(now at least 20% of the forces). I recommend this book.

[Brittany Herriot · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book as I was curious about what the woodland firefighting industry is like on the ground, as I’ve been thinking of joining-my home was evacuated this summer due to being encircled by raging wildfires. While this gave a bit of an idea it was more so about the interplay between a bunch of guys- filled with machismo culture and inflated egos. Wish it had been more focused on what the job was like mentally, emotionally, physically and logistically rather than what the author thought others thought about him, or his lustful thoughts of each woman he saw. 🤷‍♀️ Maybe this is actually what it’s like working on the ground? But I sure hope not…I’d hope there’s more people who care about the work than about their egos. No hate at all to the author, it’s just not at all what I was hoping for in a wild land firefighting memoir.

[Trudy Jaskela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was amazed at what I didn't know about professional firefighting. I thought that when fire broke out, someone went searching for men to fight the fire and sent them out with a shovel and some water.... . This book was an eye opener.
There is so much to learn about fighting a fire; how to read the smoke, how to read the weather, how to prepare, all the techniques of fighting, etc. The physical preparation is grueling Also what is it like to live in camp, go weeks without a shower, wearing the same fire-proof clothing, hang with the same guys, sometimes gals, for 24 hours a day, the isolation, preparing own meals, etc...

Author spent 8 summers as a professional firefighter, based out of Smithers, BC. He was at the Sunshine Coast Writers Festival 2018

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and interesting read, but unfortunately he let the monotony of firefighting infect his writing and I got the gist halfway through. And while I appreciated his reflections on the team dynamic and clashing personalities, there was a bit too much complaining for me. Overall though I enjoyed it—plus, fun shoutout to a familiar name!

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book at the Whitehorse Airport for some inflight reading material and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed Williams’ writing style and found it to be a nice, easy read. The book provided great insight into the lives of forest firefighters, and the various scenes are described in a visceral way that transports you to the world of the author.

[NicKayCee · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 - 3
While this book is entertaining enough and I read through it quite quickly, I never felt gripped by it once. Feeling a little pretentious at times and a very much like a journal. The writing was ok but nothing special and bounced around a lot. I'm indifferent on this one really.

[Fiona Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok! Could have been better but lacks depth! Too much journal and not enough plot! Reminds me of the book dirt! Meh
If you are interested in the subject then for sure read it

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

best book i ever read. Its like i was standing in the forest fire with him. Gripping tale of real life action

[Tomiko Robson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Potential as a Lit. Circle. Not my favourite but I can see some students enjoying it.

[Colby Schmidt · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Hostel find)

[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fire, fire. Chasing Smoke is all at ground level: Williams as an experienced crew member, by turns reveling in and exhausted by the grind of a summer fighting fire. There's not a great sense of scope here—we know only a little about what the overall wildfire picture looks like, and a tiiiiiiny bit about Williams's background—but that smaller scope keeps the action more immediate.

I'm left not entirely sure where Williams stands in this picture. How wedded is he to firefighting? Where do his other dreams lie? His bio says that he is/was working towards an MFA—does this mean that firefighting is in his past, or are they simultaneous pursuits? I'd have been curious to see a bit more about Williams and what drew him, and his colleagues, to the job. Still, an engaging read.

[Dean Jobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gritty reality of fighting wildfires - the hard work and drudgery and the ever-present danger - is portrayed in stunning detail in Williams' memoir of the 2014 forest fire season in British Columbia. The veteran firefighter offers vivid description, great turns of phrase and razor-sharp insights into the world of wildfire crews and their vital role in protecting forests. As BC once again burns, this is a powerful and engaging account of life on the front lines.