Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
As usual, we use the Colorado fires as a stepping off point to talk about many different aspects of wildfire management and leadership, fire behavior, and Western forests.
We'll review updated mapping for the Aspen Acres, Willow, Gold Mountain, and Ferris Fires, in Colorado, as well as the Babylon Fire, in Utah.
We also talk about why fire leaders refuse to send firefighters into some places, and the difficulty baked into firefighting in overgrown, remote forests.
7:00pm, PST, 7/7/2026
00:00 Overview of current Colorado wildfire conditions
04:59 Aspen Acres ridge fire, steep terrain blocks direct tactics
08:34 Bias toward action versus firefighter safety
12:52 Willow Fire briefing
16:51 Long-range contingency planning on Willow
20:20 Mapping, history, and data sharing improving fire operations
24:34 Gold Mountain firing with drones
27:58 Cimarron Ridge indirect lines, extensive structure prep and logistics
31:50 Ferris Fire along Dolores River, firing challenges, fuels projects
36:07 Babylon Fire mega-run, geography-limited perimeter
40:47 New Lassen County fire, Modoc Plateau’s deceptive wind-driven dangers
44:45 Historical Modoc Plateau fires, wind shifts turning flanks into heads
49:40 Century fire history used to predict community fire exposure
53:43 Fountain Fire legacy, dense plantations, and future reburn risk
58:24 Aspen Acres’ uncertain spread under climate-changed extreme conditions
1:03:02 Sentinel/Copernicus satellite tools and remote sensing for fires
1:08:01 Aspen Acres satellite snapshot, green islands, mop-up difficulty
1:12:31 Basic map orientation,
Photo by: Troy Behrens, Thunder Mountain Fire and Mitigation
Thanks to our sustaining sponsors:
Deer Creek Resources - deercreekgis.com
FYREBX - fyrebx.com
WATERAX - waterax.com
FORT/Wildfire Safety Systems - wildfiresafetysystems.com
QTAC--qtacfire.com - Use checkout code 'The Lookout' for a free draft hose kit with any UTV or Pickup skid order!
Join our Patreon for extra content!
patreon.com/cw/TheLookout1
For Lookout Merch: ko-fi.com/thelookout/shop
We are viewer-supported. You can become a monthly Patreon or PayPal subscriber or make a one-time donation on our website: the-lookout.org
As usual, we use the Colorado fires as a stepping off point to talk about many different aspects of wildfire management and leadership, fire behavior, and Western forests.
We'll review updated mapping for the Aspen Acres, Willow, Gold Mountain, and Ferris Fires, in Colorado, as well as the Babylon Fire, in Utah.
We also talk about why fire leaders refuse to send firefighters into some places, and the difficulty baked into firefighting in overgrown, remote forests.
7:00pm, PST, 7/7/2026
00:00 Overview of current Colorado wildfire conditions
04:59 Aspen Acres ridge fire, steep terrain blocks direct tactics
08:34 Bias toward action versus firefighter safety
12:52 Willow Fire briefing
16:51 Long-range contingency planning on Willow
20:20 Mapping, history, and data sharing improving fire operations
24:34 Gold Mountain firing with drones
27:58 Cimarron Ridge indirect lines, extensive structure prep and logistics
31:50 Ferris Fire along Dolores River, firing challenges, fuels projects
36:07 Babylon Fire mega-run, geography-limited perimeter
40:47 New Lassen County fire, Modoc Plateau’s deceptive wind-driven dangers
44:45 Historical Modoc Plateau fires, wind shifts turning flanks into heads
49:40 Century fire history used to predict community fire exposure
53:43 Fountain Fire legacy, dense plantations, and future reburn risk
58:24 Aspen Acres’ uncertain spread under climate-changed extreme conditions
1:03:02 Sentinel/Copernicus satellite tools and remote sensing for fires
1:08:01 Aspen Acres satellite snapshot, green islands, mop-up difficulty
1:12:31 Basic map orientation,
Photo by: Troy Behrens, Thunder Mountain Fire and Mitigation
Thanks to our sustaining sponsors:
Deer Creek Resources - deercreekgis.com
FYREBX - fyrebx.com
WATERAX - waterax.com
FORT/Wildfire Safety Systems - wildfiresafetysystems.com
QTAC--qtacfire.com - Use checkout code 'The Lookout' for a free draft hose kit with any UTV or Pickup skid order!
Join our Patreon for extra content!
patreon.com/cw/TheLookout1
For Lookout Merch: ko-fi.com/thelookout/shop
We are viewer-supported. You can become a monthly Patreon or PayPal subscriber or make a one-time donation on our website: the-lookout.org
