Fire on the Rim: A Firefighter's Season at the Grand Canyon [Paperback]

Stephen J. Pyne (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Pyne ( The Ice ) spent 15 seasons as a firefighter on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. In this lively account of one season, he introduces us to the tightly knit world of a fire crew, to the complex geography of the North Rim, to the technique and changing philosophy of fire management. Firefighters, the migrant workers of the National Park Service, look askance at its career employees, we're told: Park Naturalists are "fern feelers" and Rangers are simply police officers. Pyne makes trenchant comments about the Park Service and its emphasis on people rather than resource management; as more visitors come into an area, Rangers replace fire crews. A firefighter needs resourcefulness and stamina, writes Pyne, and these qualities are amply represented in his tales of men in the field, forest and on the Rim. The book will appeal to readers who enjoy action; it will also appeal to those interested in the human-wildfire-nature relationship.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: University of Washington Press (September 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0295974834
• ISBN-13: 978-0295974835
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,201,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the best book I've read on forest firefighting, October 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Fire on the Rim: A Firefighter's Season at the Grand Canyon (Paperback)

This is a great book, written not from a journalistic point of view nor from an official point of view, but from that of somebody who was a fire boss for over a decade on the Grand Canyon's North Rim fire crew. Written as fiction, although it is based on actual events with only the names changed. Edward Abbey, who worked in a fire tower on the North Rim for a couple of seasons, makes a thinly-disguised cameo appearance here as "Abner". Effectively captures the work, the culture, and the humor of forest firefighters in a way that no other book I've read has. If you're at all interested in the subject I'd recommend picking this up.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read this skeptically!, June 15, 2011

By 

Robert W. Audretsch "bob1941" (Flagsatff, AZ, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fire on the Rim: A Firefighter's Season at the Grand Canyon (Hardcover)

This is often a great read but some fiction is mixed in. On page 283 the author states "There were two full (CCC) companies on the North Rim each summer; during the winter one company relocated to Phantom Ranch, and the other to the South Rim." Fact: The CCC were on the North Rim a total of eight summers, 1933 thru 1940 inclusive. Only one summer, 1938, were there two companies, namely 2833 and 3318. Only for three winters did a North Rim company (818) move to Phantom Ranch. Only for two winters did a North Rim company (2833) move to the South Rim. The author tends to paint his word pictures with a very broad brush. Perhaps that broad brush misses some of the important specifics.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best, August 31, 2009

By 

Carol Collins (Santa Rosa, Ca) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fire on the Rim: A Firefighter's Season at the Grand Canyon (Paperback)

I have long been a fan of Stephen J Pyne who is, in my opinion, the best author on fire in the world. Some of his books do get a bit technical but he always realizes he is sailing over his readers' knowledge level and quickly brings it back down for the non-professional reader.
I have read many of his books but somehow missed this one. It is, in essence, a more personal volume than his other books because it relates his experience fighting fire. That closeness to the flames is an added bonus to his library of work.
If you have read Pyne, you know what I mean.
If you have not, and are at all interested in fire and its impacts, both positive and negative, on our country and society, this is an excellent way to meet the man who will tell you everything you want to know.