The West on Fire: Prologue

Amidst the most catastrophic fires the North American West has ever experienced comes a new podcast from the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West (ICW), and hosted by its director William Deverell, exploring the legacy and calamity of wildfire in the Western U.S.

Launching on Sept. 7, 2021, Western Edition is the first podcast from ICW, a center for scholarly investigation of the history and culture of California and the American West based jointly out of the University of Southern California and The Huntington.

The first season, The West on Fire, explores the West’s relationship with fire, and how it has shaped both our past and present. Topics will include fire practices in Indigenous communities, the history of Black firefighters in Los Angeles, smoke and urban air quality, farmworker community health during wildfires, post-wildfire debris flow, the origins and endurance of Smokey Bear, incarcerated firefighters, and more.

Western Edition is produced by Avishay Artsy, Katie Dunham, Jessica Kim and Elizabeth Logan. Our music was written and recorded by I See Hawks in L.A. Western Edition is a production of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West.