Playing with Fire

700+ homes. 65,000 evacuated. More than 10,000 acres. And now, one arrest. Investigators believe Aaron Farinacci, 37, started one of the fires that ravaged Spokane, Washington this weekend. He’s now being held on a $1 million bond. The images of the overnight devastation from the Spokane Complex Fires are shocking, but as we’ve seen, this isn’t the first fire to destroy an entire neighborhood and it won’t be the last. While the immediate conversation centers around Spokane’s recovery, it leads to a much broader conversation about wildfire behavior as a result of climate change and the policies that landed us here. We invited Shawn Borgen to join us for a substantive conversation about fire. Borg recently retired as superintendent of the Flathead Hotshots, one of the most elite firefighting teams in the country. We discuss what’s changed over his decades of fighting fires, the money and staffing cuts, and the broad misunderstanding of what’s known as the “fire paradox.” Plus, Borg lays out his own practical advice for preparation, no matter where you live. “The surface of the earth, for the most part, is covered in hairy fuel of various sizes and thicknesses,” Borg said. “And it will all burn, regardless of where you live. I have fought fire in almost every state, border to border, coast to coast. If you live in and around anything from grass up through trees, it will, it can burn. So no one is immune to it.” Just like the people of Altadena, Louisville, and Lahaina before them, the people of Spokane are trying to figure out what comes next. There are numerous organizations available to help, including: Spokane H.O.M.E. Starts Here fund: collecting donations for impacted residents 2nd Harvest: helping displaced families with access to food Innovia Foundation: offering support for organizations helping with needs HEART: collecting money to help with affected animals Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington: supporting individuals and families impacted by the fires American Red Cross/KREMCares: providing shelter and other resources to those impacted