The podcast episodes examine how historical fire suppression policies, where all wildfires were aggressively extinguished, have exacerbated the current wildfire crisis in the Western US. Fighting Fire with Fire and The Science of Forest Fires: Culture, Climate, and Combustion discuss how this approach has led to a buildup of fuel loads, making forests more susceptible to larger, more intense fires.

Additionally, Bringing Fire Back to the Karuk Tribe explores how the suppression of cultural burning practices by indigenous communities, like the Karuk tribe, has disrupted the natural fire cycle and contributed to the worsening wildfire situation.