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When It All Burns

Fighting Fire in a Transformed World

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Hardcover
$30.00 US
On sale May 27, 2025 | 368 Pages | 9780593544822

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2025 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST

ONE OF PUBLISHERS WEEKLY'S TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2025

NAMED A BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR BY KIRKUS

“Exceptional. . . . When It All Burns is one of those books that immerses the reader in the nuances of a world most of us know only through the lens of tragedy and destruction. Thomas’ visceral, crystalline prose only adds fuel to the fire.” —Los Angeles Times

A hotshot firefighter’s gripping firsthand account of a record-setting fire season


Eighteen of California’s largest wildfires on record have burned in the past two decades. Scientists recently invented the term “megafire” to describe wildfires that behave in ways that would have been nearly impossible just a generation ago, burning through winter, exploding in the night, and devastating landscapes historically impervious to incendiary destruction.

In When It All Burns, wildland firefighter and anthropologist Jordan Thomas recounts a single, brutal six-month fire season with the Los Padres Hotshots—the special forces of America’s firefighters. Being a hotshot is among the most difficult jobs on earth. Thomas viscerally renders his crew’s attempts to battle flames that are often too destructive to contain. He uncovers the hidden cultural history of megafires, revealing how humanity’s symbiotic relationship with wildfire became a war—and what can be done to change it back.

Thomas weaves ecology and the history of Indigenous peoples' oppression, federal forestry, and the growth of the fire industrial complex into a riveting narrative about a new phase in the climate crisis. It's an immersive story of community in the most perilous of circumstances, told with humor, humility, and affection.
© Sari Blum
Jordan Thomas is an anthropologist and former Los Padres hotshot wildland firefighter. His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco ChronicleThe Seattle Times, and The Drift. Thomas is a Marshall Scholar with graduate degrees from the University of Cambridge and Durham University. He is currently a Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of California. He lives in Santa Barbara, California. View titles by Jordan Thomas

About

2025 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST

ONE OF PUBLISHERS WEEKLY'S TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2025

NAMED A BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR BY KIRKUS

“Exceptional. . . . When It All Burns is one of those books that immerses the reader in the nuances of a world most of us know only through the lens of tragedy and destruction. Thomas’ visceral, crystalline prose only adds fuel to the fire.” —Los Angeles Times

A hotshot firefighter’s gripping firsthand account of a record-setting fire season


Eighteen of California’s largest wildfires on record have burned in the past two decades. Scientists recently invented the term “megafire” to describe wildfires that behave in ways that would have been nearly impossible just a generation ago, burning through winter, exploding in the night, and devastating landscapes historically impervious to incendiary destruction.

In When It All Burns, wildland firefighter and anthropologist Jordan Thomas recounts a single, brutal six-month fire season with the Los Padres Hotshots—the special forces of America’s firefighters. Being a hotshot is among the most difficult jobs on earth. Thomas viscerally renders his crew’s attempts to battle flames that are often too destructive to contain. He uncovers the hidden cultural history of megafires, revealing how humanity’s symbiotic relationship with wildfire became a war—and what can be done to change it back.

Thomas weaves ecology and the history of Indigenous peoples' oppression, federal forestry, and the growth of the fire industrial complex into a riveting narrative about a new phase in the climate crisis. It's an immersive story of community in the most perilous of circumstances, told with humor, humility, and affection.

Author

© Sari Blum
Jordan Thomas is an anthropologist and former Los Padres hotshot wildland firefighter. His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco ChronicleThe Seattle Times, and The Drift. Thomas is a Marshall Scholar with graduate degrees from the University of Cambridge and Durham University. He is currently a Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of California. He lives in Santa Barbara, California. View titles by Jordan Thomas

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On the night of November 19, 2025, the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization, announced the winners of the 76th National Book Awards, which celebrate the best literature published in the United States. Presented from Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, and livestreamed for readers everywhere, the ceremony was hosted by Jeff Hiller, Emmy Award–winning actor, comedian,

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