The Hotshot Wake Up

Wildfire Management

Wildfires

California

Forest Service

Palisades Fire

Wildfire

Wildland Firefighting

Mental Health

Wildland Firefighters

California Wildfires

Nutrition

Bureau Of Land Management

United States Wildland Fire Service

Meals Ready To Eat

Canada

Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act

Moms Across America

Los Angeles Fire Department

Oregon

Wildfire Paycheck Protection Act

A podcast and newsletter by firefighters about wildfire and the world. Crew Supervisor and Ex Hotshot overhead. Call it like it is. Monthly Substack subscriptions go towards supporting this content and helping firefighters in need. thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

858 ratings

Publishes	Weekly	Episodes	208	Founded	4 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	NatureScience

Listen to this Podcast

Guests Host Reviews Charts Talking Points

Latest Episodes

Congress Holds A Bipartisan Meeting On Wildfires Across The West. What Happens In Those Meetings, Is Progress Being Made, Will We Have Wildfire Amnesia Again? A conversation with Senator Tim Sheehy.

On Today’s Show: To Support And Subscribe: thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

I sat down with Montana Senator Tim Sheehy to discuss the current wildfire situation across the American West. Congress recently held a bipartisan meeting to talk abou... more

10 Aug 2026 • 30 min • Most popular

USWFS Director, Chief Brian Fennessy: Unification, Initial Attack, Safety, Workforce Culture, Landscape Resilience Work, Tech, And Misconceptions.

On Today’s Show: To Support And Subscribe: thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

Today I welcome the Director of the United States Wildland Fire Service, Chief Brian Fennessy. As we all know, it’s been very busy up until this point, and there is lo... more

7 Aug 2026 • 58 min • Popular

Great Basin Goes PL5. Line Medic Saves Life Of Wildland Firefighter In Idaho. Entrapment On Coleman Creek Fire In Oregon. Dozer Burnover In WA, Dozer Rollover In CA.

On Today’s Show: To Support And Subscribe: thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

The Great Basin moves to a PL5, and the Widemouth 2 Fire nears 100K acres. Full National wildfire update.

A report about a line medic who made unconventiona... more

6 Aug 2026 • 58 min • Popular

Environmental Lawsuits Halted 10s Of Thousands Of Acres Of Fuels Projects In Oregon, That Are Now Burning. Lyons Fire Burnover Report. Timelines Released For Knowles Fire Entrapment.

On Today’s Show: To Support And Subscribe: thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

Full report released for the Lyons Ferry Fire burnover. Comprehensive report details firefighters trying to burn off around themselves before being overtaken by f... more

1 Aug 2026 • 1 hr 4 min

Key Facts

Accepts Guests

Contact Information

Podcast Host

Number of Listeners

Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The Joe Rogan ExperienceJoe Rogan

The Weekly Scrap, Firefighter PodcastCorley Moore

Jocko PodcastJocko DEFCOR Network

The MeatEater PodcastMeatEater

The American WestMeatEater

Recent Guests

Brian Fennessy

Director, United States Wildland Fire Service

Department of the Interior / United States Wildland Fire Service

Episode: USWFS Director, Chief Brian Fennessy: Unification, Initial Attack, Safety, Workforce Culture, Landscape Resilience Work, Tech, And Misconceptions.

Jon Freeman

Aviation supervisor

U.S. wildfire aviation programs (BLM/Forest Service)

Episode: The Eyes In The Sky Above Wildfires: Air Attack And Helicopter Coordinators, What They Do, And How To Become One. A conversation with Jon Freeman and Matt Lynde.

Matt Lynde

Aviation supervisor

U.S. wildfire aviation programs (BLM/Forest Service)

Episode: The Eyes In The Sky Above Wildfires: Air Attack And Helicopter Coordinators, What They Do, And How To Become One. A conversation with Jon Freeman and Matt Lynde.

Erin Phelps

Deputy Director of Risk Management, Forest Service

Forest Service

Episode: Today, The Forest Service And USWFS Announce New Steps To Reduce Hazardous Exposure To Wildland Firefighters. Decontamination, Smoke Mitigation, Mask Use, And Mop-up Exposure.

Derrick Holdstock

Owner-operator of Western Fire Resources, wildfire contracting company

Western Fire Resources

Episode: The Wildfire Contracting World: Starting A Company, The Issues, Policy Changes, The Stereotypes, And More. A conversation with one of the most dialed in operators, Derrick Holdstock.

Mark Niemeyer

CEO of the Western Fire Chiefs Association

Western Fire Chiefs Association

Episode: The Future Of Wildfire Tech And The Wildfire Technology Summit: A Conversation With Western Fire Chiefs Association CEO, Chief Mark Niemeyer.

Sarah Fisher

Deputy Chief of Fire and Aviation Management, Forest Service

Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Episode: Forest Service Announces Reorganization Plan: Deputy Chief Of Fire And Aviation Management, Sarah Fisher, And Associate Chief Of The Forest Service Chris French Join To Provide Details.

Chris French

Associate Chief, Forest Service

Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Episode: Forest Service Announces Reorganization Plan: Deputy Chief Of Fire And Aviation Management, Sarah Fisher, And Associate Chief Of The Forest Service Chris French Join To Provide Details.

Sam Forstag

Former smokejumper, union leader, and congressional candidate for Montana's District 1

Campaign for Congress

Episode: From Smokejumper To Congressional Candidate. Sam Forstag joins the show to talk wildfire issues and his upcoming election.

Host

Tim

Host of The Hotshot Wake Up; firefighter and advocate with experience in wildland fire operations and policy discussions

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 858 ratings

Some lame crew deciding to get together and post one star reviews? Hmmm
Great interviews and a good show.
Apple Podcasts
5
IA Captain
United States10 months ago
Excellent Resource (but unnecessary misleading claims)
“It’s just six bucks.” A claim made repeatedly in every single episode. But it’s $6.99, so constant insults from the host. Dude, drop the $.99 or start being honest that it’s seven bucks a month to sponsor. We’re not as dumb as you think we are.
Apple Podcasts
4
Jd54635435
United Statesa year ago
Biggest gobs of BS in Wildland you can find. Idk what happened to this guy
Podcast Addict
1
nuns
a year ago
Good stuff
As a former helitack & hotshot and a father of a hotshot this podcast is great for those that want more than just some wildfire updates. Good interviews, good behind the scenes information that typically otherwise wouldn’t be heard .
Apple Podcasts
5
matt1075
United Statesa year ago
(Engine) Slug for Salt
If you’re hoping to hear right wing bootlicking and “I told you so” for hours, this is the show for you.
Apple Podcasts
1
Taylor Monney
United Statesa year ago

Embed These Reviews on a Website

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Fans appreciate the behind-the-scenes context and practical fire-ground knowledge.

Listeners praise strong field insight and balanced, solution-oriented discussions.

Some critics say coverage can feel biased or overly political at times.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts	#36	United States/Science/Nature
Apple Podcasts	#132	Canada/Science/Nature
Apple Podcasts	#94	Germany/Science/Nature
Apple Podcasts	#109	France/Science/Nature
Apple Podcasts	#188	Italy/Science/Nature
Apple Podcasts	#57	New Zealand/Science/Nature

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Congress Holds A Bipartisan Meeting On Wildfires Across The West. What Happens In Those Meetings, Is Progress Being Made, Will We Have Wildfire Amnesia Again? A conversation with Senator Tim Sheehy.

Q: What are your thoughts on how this wildfire season has progressed and what needs to change?

The season shows that we cannot keep operating under a reactive, post-disaster mindset; we need upfront funding, streamlined agency coordination, and a national approach to pre-positioning resources, plus an emphasis on forest management and prevention.

USWFS Director, Chief Brian Fennessy: Unification, Initial Attack, Safety, Workforce Culture, Landscape Resilience Work, Tech, And Misconceptions.

Q: What does the unification roadmap say about culture, governance, and the day-to-day experience of wildland firefighters across agencies?

The roadmap treats culture as a readiness issue, aiming to merge identities into a common culture that maintains individual agency strengths while emphasizing shared mission, with ongoing listening sessions to ensure voices from the field shape the change.

USWFS Director, Chief Brian Fennessy: Unification, Initial Attack, Safety, Workforce Culture, Landscape Resilience Work, Tech, And Misconceptions.

Q: How does aggressive initial attack align with safety, and when is it appropriate to be more aggressive in the first response?

Aggressive initial attack should be defined as prompt action and resource deployment to control a fire quickly without compromising firefighter safety; the goal is to ensure rapid containment while following established safety practices, not to push crews into unnecessary risk.

USWFS Director, Chief Brian Fennessy: Unification, Initial Attack, Safety, Workforce Culture, Landscape Resilience Work, Tech, And Misconceptions.

Q: Can you already see that the authority changes are being put into practice, and what has that looked like on the ground across the DOI?

The authority changes are functioning well; agency personnel report smoother coordination, with improved cross-table communication and a sense that fire experts on the ground have more say in decision-making, which is translating into more effective suppression and landscape work.

The Eyes In The Sky Above Wildfires: Air Attack And Helicopter Coordinators, What They Do, And How To Become One. A conversation with Jon Freeman and Matt Lynde.

Q: What does a typical day look like for an air attack supervisor and a Helco, from briefing to a fire assignment?

Both roles start with PT and briefings, then pre-flight checks and weather review, followed by airspace coordination with dispatch and ground divisions. IA work dominates the daytime, with potential for night flying on larger fires. The day often involves multiple flights, fuel stops, and debriefing, with a heavy emphasis on maintaining safety and keeping pilots oriented through constant communication across several frequencies.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Hotshot Wake Up

What is The Hotshot Wake Up about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A hard-edged, practitioner-focused show led by a seasoned firefighter host who covers wildfire policy, interagency coordination, and frontline realities. Episodes blend incident reports, governance updates, and operational commentary, with frequent emphasis on unification of wildfire agencies, safety culture, and the economics of fire response. Notable strengths include timely, detailed briefings on major fires, candid discussions about policy shifts, and a clear call to action for listeners to engage through subscriptions and advocacy. The format often mixes on-the-ground storytelling with governance and technology trends, making it useful for professionals evaluating how national policy and funding affect field operations and local prepar... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Hotshot Wake Up?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Hotshot Wake Up. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Hotshot Wake Up and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Hotshot Wake Up get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Hotshot Wake Up, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Hotshot Wake Up?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Hotshot Wake Up, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Hotshot Wake Up have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Hotshot Wake Up has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Hotshot Wake Up?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Hotshot Wake Up:

1. The Joe Rogan Experience
2. The Weekly Scrap, Firefighter Podcast
3. Jocko Podcast
4. The MeatEater Podcast
5. The American West

How many episodes of The Hotshot Wake Up are there?

The Hotshot Wake Up launched 4 years ago and published 208 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Hotshot Wake Up?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Hotshot Wake Up?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Hotshot Wake Up from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Hotshot Wake Up?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Hotshot Wake Up. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Hotshot Wake Up?

Recent guests on The Hotshot Wake Up include:

1. Brian Fennessy
2. Jon Freeman
3. Matt Lynde
4. Erin Phelps
5. Derrick Holdstock
6. Mark Niemeyer
7. Sarah Fisher
8. Chris French

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.

Try it free for 7 days