Fire on the Rim: A Firefighter's Season at the Grand Canyon

Pyne ( The Ice ) spent 15 seasons as a firefighter on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. In this lively account of one season, he introduces us to the tightly knit world of a fire crew, to the complex geography of the North Rim, to the technique and changing philosophy of fire management. Firefighters, the migrant workers of the National Park Service, look askance at its career employees, we're told: Park Naturalists are ``fern feelers'' and Rangers are simply police officers. Pyne makes trenchant comments about the Park Service and its emphasis on people rather than resource management; as more visitors come into an area, Rangers replace fire crews. A firefighter needs resourcefulness and stamina, writes Pyne, and these qualities are amply represented in his tales of men in the field, forest and on the Rim. The book will appeal to readers who enjoy action; it will also appeal to those interested in the human-wildfire-nature relationship. (Apr.)