Fire Season

Currently reading this book. It's really rather good. Had my eye on it for a while when in hardback, but I love the cover of the paperback edition. It's about a year spent as a lookout in New Mexico, working to spot wildfires before they reach a point where they threaten the forests which cloak the many mountain ranges in that area, and neighbouring states.

There has been a changing relationship between the US Forestry Service and these wildfires. For a long time, any fire was seen as something to be tackled at all costs.
There was then a realisation that fire was important for the long-term health of the forest. After all, wildfires started by lightning would have been burning unchecked through the forests for thousands of years before humans were on the scene to put them out. A fire allows the climax vegetation to re-establish itself, plant succession to take place, and new growth to replace the old.

It's also a book about dealing with spending weeks on end alone (although the author does have his dog with him) staring out at endless ranges of hills.

ESRI have produced a map which would be useful for those teaching about wildfires. These are included in some exam specifications.
You can explore a range of data using the layers on the map.

Update
A useful video via the National Geographic Education Team