The Fire Break | Innovations in Wildfire Podcast By Steve Wolf | Wildfire Scientist cover art

The Fire Break | Innovations in Wildfire

The Fire Break | Innovations in Wildfire

By: Steve Wolf | Wildfire Scientist
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Explore the wildfire crisis with Steve Wolf, on The Fire Break. Steve brings you the most influential voices in fire science, innovation, politics, and community engagement, sharing the latest strategies for wildfire prevention, mitigation, and recovery. Expect engaging and humorous chats with experts working to steer us through this climate dilemma. New episodes every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.Steve Wolf | Wildfire Scientist
Episodes
  • Beyond Geoengineering | Jonathan Parfrey on Simple Fixes for a Hotter Planet
    Jul 24 2025

    Climate Resolve founder Jonathan Parfrey explains how his organization is pioneering simple, physics-based solutions to extreme heat and wildfire risk, like "cool roofs" and "cool pavements" that are already changing the landscape of Los Angeles. Discover the counterintuitive economic findings from their in-depth study of the Woolsey Fire, and learn about future-forward ideas like "mood ring roofs" and resilience districts.

    In this episode, you'll learn about:

    • Negative Solar Forcing: The science of reflecting sunlight back into space using smarter surface materials.

    • Cool Roofs & Pavements: How L.A. installed 100,000 cool roofs and how reflective pavement lowered air temperatures by 3.5°F in a test neighborhood.

    • The "Mood Ring Roof": A look at the lab-developed technology that changes roof color based on temperature.

    • Lessons from the Woolsey Fire: A deep-dive into Climate Resolve's report on wildfire displacement.

    • The Myth of the Burdened Community: The surprising discovery that "receiving communities" often see an economic boon after a disaster.

    • The Insurance Problem: Why underinsurance and unpermitted structures create major recovery hurdles.

    • Resilience Districts: A bold proposal for funding local, multi-hazard mitigation efforts through property taxes.

    • The Psychology of Smoke: The profound mental health impacts of prolonged wildfire smoke exposure in urban areas.

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    45 mins
  • Why You Have to Be a 'Salesman of Life Safety' | Brittany Brown
    Jul 23 2025

    Fire Marshal Brittany Brown explains her philosophy of being a "salesman of life safety" and the art of tailoring community risk reduction (CRR) to the unique needs of a community. Drawing on her experience moving from the high-risk wildland environment of Colorado to the suburbs of Kansas City, she breaks down why data, trust, and understanding culture are the most powerful tools in a fire prevention officer's arsenal.

    In this episode, you'll learn about:

    • The "Salesman of Life Safety": The key to effective fire prevention is selling people on their own self-preservation.

    • A Tale of Two Cities: The stark differences in risk between Commerce City, CO, and Leawood, KS.

    • Data-Driven Prevention: Why a deep understanding of community demographics is the first step in any CRR program.

    • Building Trust: The importance of showing up and becoming a known, trusted face in the community.

    • The "Why" Before the "What": How to connect with people's values to motivate them to take action.

    • From Air Force to Fire Service: Brittany's unique career path from aircraft mechanic to fire investigator to Fire Marshal.

    • Aircraft Crashworthiness: A fascinating look into the science of helping people survive airplane crashes.

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    43 mins
  • Inside Stanford's High-Tech 'Living Lab' for Fighting Wildfire | Cody Hill
    Jul 22 2025

    Stanford's Associate Director of Resilience, Cody Hill, details how the university is transforming its 8,200-acre campus into a "living laboratory" for wildfire resilience. Discover their multi-layered approach, from installing a network of 50 advanced carbon-sniffing sensors and AI-powered cameras to pioneering partnerships with local fire agencies and reintroducing "good fire" to the landscape.

    In this episode, you'll learn about:

    • The "Living Lab": How Stanford uses its land to test and validate new wildfire technologies and strategies.

    • A High-Tech Detection Network: Combining Alert California cameras with 50 N5 "sniffer" sensors for early fire detection.

    • From Management to Resilience: The strategic shift from simple vegetation clearing to a holistic resilience program.

    • The Power of "Good Fire": The challenges and importance of reintroducing prescribed and pile burns in partnership with local tribes.

    • Public Education is Key: The critical need for campaigns like "Know Your Zone" to prepare communities for evacuation.

    • Lessons from Pepperdine: How a well-prepared campus successfully sheltered in place during a major wildfire.

    • Engaging the Next Generation: Bringing Stanford students into the wildfire resilience team for hands-on research.

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    41 mins
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