Wall of Flame: The Heroic Battle to Save Southern California

Krauss (On the Line; Wave of Destruction) follows the firefighters who battled the firestorm that raged in the Rancho Cucamonga area of southern California in October 2003 in this incendiary narrative. Krauss employs terse prose (""Berger needed reinforcements, and he needed them now"") to narrate the fiery chaos, weaving in fascinating technical details of how large grassfires are fought-from describing the challenges faced by a helicopter water carrier whose water discharge mechanism malfunctions to the political machinations that govern command and control of firefighting operations. State, local and federal officials coordinated firefighting efforts, but dissonance among them (including confusion over chain-of-command and a reluctance on the part of each to call in air support for fear of being stuck with the bill) contributed to delays that resulted in the fire's spread. Though Krauss excels at detail work, his dialogue tends to be awkward and needlessly explanatory, resulting in firefighters and bureaucrats who don't come to life. A harrowing account of the finer details of firefighting, this book will appeal to civilians and professionals alike.