Against The Odds The Big Burn | Fight Fire with Fire | 4
Oct 21, 2025
A harrowing recounting of the 1910 Big Burn wildfire highlights the bravery of the Buffalo Soldiers evacuating women and children from Avery. Ed Pulaski faces devastation while searching for survivors, demonstrating courage despite injuries. Meanwhile, Emma Pulaski's frantic search ends in relief when she finds her husband alive at a hospital. The episode delves into radical firefighting tactics, including the audacious plan to create backfires to combat the flames, showcasing human resilience against nature's fury.
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Racing A Burning Bridge
- Sergeant John James and evacuees raced a burning bridge on a train and survived by sheer luck and resolve.
- The passengers endured flames and terror but made it across when the bridge held and sunlight returned.
No Fixed Safe Route
- The train carrying Avery's evacuees repeatedly ran through pockets of fire while crews sought burned-over safe zones.
- Desperation and shifting conditions forced constant movement and improvisation to survive the night.
Wallace's Makeshift Hospital
- Wallace converted empty storefronts into overflowing hospitals treating burned firefighters with donated beds and improvised bandages.
- Pulaski received care but remained blind in one eye and his lungs never fully recovered.