Fire Season
Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout
For nearly a decade, Philip Connors has spent half of each year in a seven-by-seven foot fire-lookout tower, ten thousand feet above the ground in one of the remotest territories of New Mexico. One of the least developed parts of the country, the first region designated as an official wilderness area in the world, it is also one of the most fire-prone, suffering more than thirty thousand lightning strikes each year. Written with gusto and charm, Fire Season captures the grandeur of this most unusual job and place. Connors’ time up on the peak is filled with drama—fires large and small; spectacular midnight lightning storms; surprise encounters with various wildlife. Filled with Connors’ heartfelt reflections, Fire Season is a remarkable homage to the beauty of nature, the blessings of solitude, and the freedom of the independent spirit.
