Kyle Dickman, author of "On the Burning Edge: A Fateful Fire and the Men Who Fought It "

Air Dates: August 1-3, 2015

This week's guest on REPORT FROM SANTA FE is Kyle Dickman, author of “On the Burning Edge: A Fateful Fire and the Men Who Fought It.” This is the riveting story of the 19 Granite Mountain Hot Shots who died in the tragic Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona in 2013. “On the Burning Edge” is the definitive book on a tragedy that gripped the nation in the summer of 2013, and a chilling report on the danger that still exists.

Dickman is an award-winning journalist and a former wildland firefighter. His own hotshot experience, and thorough investigative reporting, create a powerful exploration of this wildfire's impact and how it fits within the wider conversation of wildland management. Dickman offers scientific, political, and cultural explanations for the growing severity of fire seasons in the American West.

Drawing on dozens of interviews with officials, families of the fallen, and the lone survivor, Dickman describes in vivid detail what it's like to stand inside a raging fire, the pain and glory of a rough and vital job, and the brotherly bonds born of dangerous work. “On the Burning Edge” describes in detail what occurred on that fateful day, two years ago. Dickman tells this difficult story in a sensitive and caring way, recreating the crew's final hours and the grave mistakes that lead to disaster.