Photo credit: Entiat Hotshots
Have you ever wondered what kind of person makes the ideal Hotshot? Well, TheSmokeyGeneration.com, a wildland fire oral history and didgital storytelling website, decided to explore just that. The Smokey Generation is a passion project founded by Bethany Hannah in 2014 as part of her thesis project for her Master of Arts degree. In continuing to expand The Smokey Generation, Bethany’s goal is to collect and share stories from wildland firefighters throughout the country so that we can preserve the history and culture of the wildland firefighting industry and stimulate discussion about wildland fire itself. While gathering interviews, Bethany’s taken the time to ask a few Hotshots this question: “What are the characteristics of the ideal Hotshot?” Here are a few of the responses:
The Smokey Generation is a website dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories and oral history of wildland fire.
The story of wildland fire is more than what’s told on the evening news. Many people only experience wildland fire through the media or when their homes or properties are affected, but wildland fire deserves to be given context outside of these emergencies. By sharing the stories of wildland fire professionals, we’re able to educate ourselves about the broader reality of wildland fire. The Smokey Generation captures wildland firefighters talking about their experiences, describing close calls, showcasing their camaraderie, and exploring their various histories—with a view towards their shared future. The stories ignite the imagination, provide intriguing perspective, and showcase the fascinating culture of the industry.
Storytelling and oral history are traditions as old as civilization itself and the stories in this collections are, and will remain, available to the public, scholars, and current/future generations of wildland firefighters for years to come. To do this, interviews are filmed, edited into consumable pieces, and presented in a format perfectly suited to the internet medium. At the click of a button, folks around the globe can access engaging, approachable segments and participate in the greater narrative of wildland fire.
There are several parts to this project:
Visit The Smokey Generation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.