On the Burning Edge

A Fateful Fire and the Men Who Fought It

By: Kyle Dickman

Narrated by: Will Damron

The definitive account of one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history, which killed nineteen elite firefighters of the Granite Mountain Hotshots and also inspired the major motion picture Only the Brave.

“A tear-jerking classic.”—Outside • Named One of the Best Books of the Year by Men’s Journal

On June 28, 2013, a single bolt of lightning sparked an inferno that devoured more than eight thousand acres in northern Arizona. Twenty elite firefighters—the Granite Mountain Hotshots—walked together into the Yarnell Hill Fire, tools in their hands and emergency fire shelters on their hips. Only one of them walked out.

An award-winning journalist and former wildland firefighter, Kyle Dickman brings to the story a professional’s understanding of how wildfires ignite, how they spread, and how they are fought. He understands hotshots and their culture: the pain and glory of a rough and vital job, the brotherly bonds born of dangerous work. Drawing on dozens of interviews with officials, families of the fallen, and the lone survivor, he describes in vivid detail what it’s like to stand inside a raging fire—and shows how the increased population and decreased water supply of the American West guarantee that many more young men will step into harm’s way in the coming years.

Praise for On the Burning Edge

“Dickman weaves a century of fire-management history into the fully realized stories of the men’s lives—the sweat, the adrenaline, the orange glow of fire within their aluminum shelters, and the chewing gum that hotshot Scott Norris left in the shower before telling his girlfriend, Heather, ‘I’ll take care of it later. I promise.’”—Outside

“Dickman offers a riveting account of a dangerous occupation and acts of nature most violent—and those who face both down.”—Library Journal

Critic reviews

“What makes this book a tear-jerking classic is the seamless manner in which [Kyle] Dickman weaves a century of fire-management history into the fully realized stories of the men’s lives—the sweat, the adrenaline, the orange glow of fire within their aluminum shelters, and the chewing gum that hotshot Scott Norris left in the shower before telling his girlfriend, Heather, ‘I’ll take care of it later. I promise.’”—Outside

“Dickman offers a riveting account of a dangerous occupation and acts of nature most violent—and those who face both down.”—Library Journal

a great book

What did you love best about On the Burning Edge?

I was skeptical of this book. I didn't really care for the article in Outside that was it's beginning and I thought a whole book on the subject might turn out to be some Sebastian Younger style trash. However, I'm friends with the authors brother so I thought I had better check it out in for conversation sake. My skepticism was completely obliterated! This is such a well written book. It's a respectfully told story of a terrible tragedy, general fire fighting techniques and an interesting look into current forest management policy. The book find an exceptional balance covering a very tough subject.

Detailed

The detailed descriptions of wildland firefighting from the writer. As a now retired 33-yr WLFF I was 2 years into a FMO job when this happened, our crew talked about it and eventually watched the final report together when it was released. Very tough loss for the WLFF community and hopefully Brendan and the surviving families are doing ok these days 🙏🏽

Now what I expected

Went more into the before and less into the after. But all and all it was a good book. In my opinion, being a fire fighter, it had a couple technical flaws.

being firefighter myself,this book hit my heart.

Exceptional book, great insight to fighting wildland fires and how to become a hot shot.

Be on the fire line, and in their heads.

Would you consider the audio edition of On the Burning Edge to be better than the print version?

Although the technical information provided about the crew, fire equipment and field terms is easy to understand, reading the same at a study pace, and having a written outline (provided by the author of men, squads, fires, etc.) provided a better touch-stone. The audio version is "better" because the narrator, Will Damron, provides the emotion and sense of urgency that is the backbone of this story.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Learning about the mens' lives, dreams, family and motivations.

Which scene was your favorite?

Favorite? Well, impressive and mind boggling. The telling of the Dude Fire. I couldn't believe what I was reading. I had no idea of the risk involved, and how the situations can change in the blink of an eye. They all train so hard to be ready. Ready. I cried.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

This book is based on actual events. The aftermath of any tragedy claiming human life, leaves those left behind empty at all levels of emotion and understanding. The eulogy read by Granite Mountain Firefighter Brendan McDonough is one of those moments.

Any additional comments?

Kyle Dickmans' book is well written, and very interesting. The language and tools of firefighting are made easy for anyone to understand. I enjoyed learning the history of wild land fire fighting and how it came to be in the fabric of our nation.