INFERNO!

A history of one of the worst forest fires in United States history.

The subject of tech-industry professional Gormley’s work of nonfiction is Colorado’s Marshall Fire, which burned 6,000 acres in the state in December 2021, destroying nearly 1,100 buildings, causing $2 billion in damage, and displacing 37,500 people. Many readers will remember the horrific news footage coming from Boulder during those days, and in these pages (full of maps and color photos, many of which are astonishing), the author digs into the details of the disaster. Underscoring many of these is a theme that runs throughout the book: the sheer unpredictability of a fire of this size and ferocity. Some homes were destroyed, while other nearby buildings were largely untouched; some businesses were flattened, while others were able to open up again in a little over a week. Gormley presents a large amount of granular research and many interviews over the course of this work, and he offers a great deal of engaging information, including accounts of tactical snafus (such as fire trucks being prevented from reaching towns because of evacuees crowding the roads) and the heroism of dozens of emergency workers. Gormley has also assembled an incredible gallery of photos from all stages of the emergency. Although the author’s accounting of facts is very thorough, he never forgets to highlight the vibrant drama of the events, as when one interview subject known only as Jase H. tried to wake his sleeping children when he heard a sudden pounding at his front door: “A police officer screamed, ‘Evacuate now! Do not hesitate! Just go NOW!’ ” These moments, plus the many close-scale area maps, help to create what could be the definitive study of the Marshall Fire.

A heavily detailed and gripping narrative account of a historic Colorado conflagration.