Inside the Flames: The Untold Story of a Hotshot’s Fierce Battle for Survival
The book follows Selby’s journey as a hotshot firefighter in the western United States in the early 2000s. They describe their past as well as their experience as a hotshot within scenes; this is punctuated by lyrical descriptions of ecology, American history, fire science, public policy, and their own body as it transforms under immense physical strain. The result is an engaging researched memoir that is cinematic, meditative, and profoundly intimate.
A “hotshot firefighter” is one of the most elite American wildland firefighter positions. Hotshots are subjected to grueling physical fitness regimes in addition to specialized training to prepare them for the most difficult, remote, and complicated wildfires (the name “hotshot” refers to the fact that they are often sent to the hottest sections of a raging inferno). Despite their revered yet hazardous labor, hotshots were not considered “real” firefighters until 2022 and for many years they were not offered health insurance since it was considered “seasonal” work (this has changed, particularly as climate change has extended the traditional fire season).
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