logo
episode-header-image
Sep 30
41m 24s

The Big Burn | The Driest Summer | 1

Wondery
About this episode
In the summer of 1910, a severe drought turned Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene National Forest into a tinderbox. Spot fires cropped up around the mining towns of Wallace and Avery and it was the job of forest rangers like Ed Pulaski to put them out. But when a massive windstorm swept through in August, those smaller fires converged into the largest megablaze in Americ ... Show More
Up next
Oct 7
The Big Burn | The Blow-Up | 2
<p>As the fires spread, ranger Ed Pulaski tries to lead his men on a last-ditch effort to save the town of Wallace. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Soldiers race to build firebreaks around Avery, and head ranger Bill Weigle realizes he’s made a terrible mistake.&nbsp;</p><p>Order your cop ... Show More
38m 11s
Oct 14
The Big Burn | Evacuations | 3
<p>As teams of firefighters and forest rangers find themselves trapped by the megafire and unable to help, residents of Wallace and Avery prepare to evacuate. While Ed Pulaski and his crew take shelter in an old mining tunnel, Ed’s wife Emma decides to flee with their daughter El ... Show More
41m 9s
Oct 21
The Big Burn | Fight Fire with Fire | 4
<p>The Buffalo Soldiers evacuate women and children from Avery, Idaho by train, but they don’t get far before the fire catches up to them. Emma Pulaski receives terrible news about her husband. With the fire closing in, rangers and soldiers take radical measures to save Avery.&nb ... Show More
43m 4s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 16
The Plague in San Francisco | The Year of the Rat | 1
<p>When a deadly outbreak of bubonic plague hits San Francisco, a brilliant young bacteriologist named Joseph Kinyoun is tasked with stopping the spread. But as Kinyoun soon discovers, he is battling not just the disease, but a group of politicians more concerned about profits th ... Show More
39m 40s
Feb 2025
Station Nightclub Fire | Lives Lost | 3
<p>After learning about the fire, the community of West Warwick is horrified at the devastation the tragedy caused. Victims and their families demand answers, and soon Rhode Island’s Attorney General launches a grand jury investigation to find out not only how the fire spread so ... Show More
38m 43s
Sep 23
The Plague of San Francisco | The Wolf Doctor | 2
<p>With plague spreading in San Francisco, Dr. Joseph Kinyoun faces fierce resistance from a city and state desperate to protect its image. Unwilling to back down, Kinyoun's (KIHN-yuunz) relentless efforts to contain the plague put him at odds with powerful opponents determined t ... Show More
39m 30s
Jan 2025
Station Nightclub Fire | No Exit | 2
<p>On the night of February 20, 2003, excitement fills the Station as the crowd eagerly awaits a performance by Jack Russell and Great White. But seconds into the show, sparks from a pyrotechnic display ignite the walls, unleashing a fire that spreads with terrifying speed.</p><p ... Show More
34m 8s
Oct 2024
Jamestown | A Hell of Darkness | 2
<p>In January 1608, fire blazed through the English settlement in Jamestown, Virginia. Nearly every building was reduced to ash. The destruction meant that the colonists would have to brave the winter with nothing but the clothes on their backs. More than ever before, their survi ... Show More
40m 34s
Apr 2025
The Whole Foods Rebellion | Tiny Acorns, Mighty Oaks | 2
<p>CEO John Mackey is on a mission to take Whole Foods national. But he is about to run into major opposition. And to succeed in his quest, he must face down rebellious employees, ambitious rivals, animal rights activists and his own father.</p><p>Be the first to know about Wonde ... Show More
45m 1s
Jan 2025
Station Nightclub Fire | Pyrotechnics | 1
<p>In February 2003, a small nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island called the Station gets set to host a performance by ‘80s rock band Great White. But unbeknownst to the club’s patrons, owners Michael and Jeffrey Derderian and their staff have cut corners on safety. And when G ... Show More
32m 47s
Oct 15
The Rise and Fall of Peloton | Maximum Effort | 2
<p>As the Covid-19 pandemic rages, Peloton’s stock surges and the company scrambles to keep up with the new demand for its products.&nbsp;They pour millions of dollars into increasing production and cutting down on shipping time.&nbsp;But when tragedy strikes, Peloton’s newfound ... Show More
36m 23s
Apr 2025
The Whole Foods Rebellion | Vision Quest | 1
<p>When Texas hippie John Mackey opens an organic supermarket, he gets high on running a business. But when his ambitions sink its profits, sparks fly between him and his co-founders. They clash over the question of whether to chase a bigger dream or enjoy the money they’re alrea ... Show More
36m 38s
Nov 2024
264: National Park After Dark is Scared to Death
<div>Dan and Lyndze Cummins, hosts of Scared to Death join us today to share some creepy tales. First, we chat about their personal thoughts on and experiences with the other side before they bring us to California and Idaho for some very strange stories filled with legends, curs ... Show More
1h 22m