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Jul 26 2011

How Wildfires Work

32 min 8 movies discussed
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Wildfires consume an annual average of 5 million acres in the US. But what causes wildfires? How do they become so powerful? More importantly, how do we fight them? Join Josh and Chuck as they take you to the frontlines of the fight against wildfires.

AI Summary

Josh and Chuck dive into the fascinating and terrifying world of wildfires, exploring everything from the basic science of the "fire triangle" to the elite firefighters called smoke jumpers who parachute into blazing forests. They break down what makes these fires so unpredictable and destructive, covering the role of fuel loads, weather patterns, and topography, plus some wild phenomena like fire tornadoes that can hurl burning trees for miles. The hosts also share some jaw-dropping stories of fires started by people seeking work as firefighters, and they bust a popular urban legend about scuba divers found in trees after aerial water drops.


Movies Discussed

A Guy Named Joe
A Guy Named Joe
1944 2h 0m
★ 6.7
"And it was a remake of I think a guy named Joe or something. — Chuck mentioned that Always was a remake of an earlier film called A Guy Named Joe." — Chuck
Always
Always
1989 2h 2m
★ 6.2
"And we also want to give a shout out to Always. Great movie starring Richard Dreyfus. — Chuck gave a shout out to the movie Always, which featured firefighters and starred Richard Dreyfus, John Goodman, and Holly Hunter." — Chuck
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad
2008
★ 8.9
"I haven't seen Breaking Bad, but that's supposed to be amazing. — Chuck mentioned Breaking Bad when discussing Bryan Cranston's career after Malcolm in the Middle." — Chuck
Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451
1966 1h 53m
★ 7.1
"Like Fahrenheit 451 is supposed to be the flashpoint of books. — Josh referenced the title when discussing flashpoints and temperatures at which materials ignite." — Josh
Firestorm
Firestorm
1998 1h 29m
★ 5.2
"Is that what he did in that in Firestorm? I think he was a smoke jumper. — Chuck mentioned the movie when discussing smoke jumpers and referenced Howie Long's role in the film." — Chuck
Law & Order
Law & Order
1990
★ 7.3
"I keep hearing like everybody on Law and Order talk about when they mention the governor. — Josh mentioned Law & Order when discussing references to New York's governor and the Hudson Valley." — Josh
Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle
2000
★ 8.5
"Did you ever watch Malcolm in the middle? Oh yeah. — Chuck mentioned the show when discussing cautionary tales and how shows about kids get worse when the kids get older." — Chuck
The Gods Must Be Crazy II
The Gods Must Be Crazy II
1989 1h 38m
★ 7.1
"Have you ever seen that God's must be crazy too? No. — Josh referenced the movie when describing how the main character creates a fire break to escape a brush fire." — Josh

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