"United By Fire" Podcast Launch Party

The Institute for Science & Policy at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science Debuts New Limited-Series Podcast “United by Fire”

The 10-part series explores the wildfire crisis and our journey to coexist with fire and build resilience

DENVER – Four of the five largest wildfires in Colorado history have occurred since 2018, and the three largest in 2020 alone. Every year, Coloradans experience countless red flag warnings, fire bans and unhealthy smoke as wildfires rip across the state and the region. It’s a challenge that is not going away. 

Today the Institute of Science & Policy, a project of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, released “United by Fire,” the fourth season of its award-winning podcast, Laws of Notion. The series investigates what it truly means to live with wildfire in a warming world.   

Through in-depth interviews and storytelling, “United by Fire” explores the catastrophic 2020 wildfire season, when the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak Fires challenged what we thought we knew about wildfire behavior. Fueled by climate change, drought and human choices, these fires claimed lives and property, damaged our landscapes and watersheds and pushed emergency responders to the breaking point.  

Throughout the series, you’ll hear from residents and firefighters who found themselves in the path of the flames, as well as ecologists, land managers, community planners and entrepreneurs who are working to build a more wildfire-resilient future. It uncovers the role of our built environment, how fires impact forests and watersheds and how people reckon with our history of fire suppression, all while grappling with difficult choices. 

“Tackling the complex topic that is wildfire allows us to examine the intersections of science, decision making, and our human nature and try to define what success looks like for our communities,” said Institute Executive Director Kristan Uhlenbrock. “We’ve reached a critical moment of rethinking what we know when it comes to fires in the West.”  

The podcast features on-the ground reporting and exclusive interviews from more than 40 people.

The audio and video trailer and first episode are available now on all major podcast distributors and the podcast website, with new episodes released weekly.  

For more information, visit institute.dmns.org/united-by-fire and lawsofnotion.org. And join us for a podcast launch party on Oct. 15, 2024, at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, starting at 6 p.m. Meet the guests featured in the podcast. This event is free to the public. We ask that members of the media RSVP by end of day on Oct. 14.