The History of Fire in North America

This week, as wildfires rage across Greece, Italy and Algeria, we talk about why fires have become so much bigger, wilder and more dangerous. The FT's chief features writer Henry Mance takes us to a wildfire training camp in Poland, where experts from around the world are struggling with how to handle these new megafires. Because of climate change, they behave differently than old fires: they burn quicker and longer, they leap across trees and rivers, and they defy most traditional rules of firefighting. Henry tells us what it's like to confront them, and whether it's possible to prevent them.

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links: 

– Henry’s article, https://on.ft.com/3DvKtRF 

– The FT’s coverage of wildfires in Rhodes: https://on.ft.com/3Oxpbte   

– The FT”s coverage of wildfires in Algeria: https://on.ft.com/3KgCFqI

Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.  

Archival clip in this episode from the BBC. 

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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