Newswise — Stephen Pyne, Regents Professor, ASU School of Life Sciences

Pyne is a fire historian and a former firefighter (North Rim Longshots, 15 seasons). He is the author of more than 30 books, mostly on the history and management of wildland and rural fire, including big-screen surveys for the U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe (including Russia), and the world generally. He is completing a multi-volume fire history of the U.S. and its regions since 1960, which includes Between Two Fires: A Fire History of Contemporary America (2015). Pyne says the outbreak of wildfires in California remind us that we may need to truly learn that California is intrinsically fire-prone and that people have to live there in ways that accommodate this reality. Pyne will not comment on active fires in detail unless he has personal knowledge of it, but is good for background and context. His personal website: www.stephenpyne.com. Email is best for first contact: [email protected].