Gunflint Burning

Fire in the Boundary Waters

By: Cary J. Griffith

Narrated by: Jonathan Yen

The story of the Ham Lake fire, at the time the most destructive wildfire in modern Minnesota history—the blaze, the firefighters' battle, the human toll

Gunflint Burning is a comprehensive account of the dramatic events around the Ham Lake fire of 2007, one of the largest wildfires in Minnesota history. In sharp detail, Cary J. Griffith describes the key events of the fire as they unfold, transporting listeners to the front lines of an epic struggle that was at times heroic, tragic, and sublime.

©2018 Cary J. Griffith (P)2024 Tantor

Mildly interesting but redundantly written

This book felt very repetitive many facts were repeated from just slightly different perspectives and contributed nothing to the overall progression of the story or the listeners understanding of the of the fire

details and research

I loved this book but cried at the end. Mr. Posniak was persecuted so vehemently. At first I wanted him to suffer as well, but remember what Sue said in her blog, that this could happen to any one of us in a moment of complacency.

Written like a textbook or documentary. Cover and title mislead me

The flashy cover and exciting title had be pumped for a harrowing story or stories of survival during a wildfire. Instead, I got a documentary, interspersed with short stories and quotes.There was a lot of overlap in the stories too, often using flat out repetition in explanations of the same event or process.
The audio book could have been 3 hours shorter, and would have been a much easier read, had the process and “legalese” of every firefighter’s role not been repeated 4-5 times as a header to each story. I wanted to hear from the PEOPLE, not from their professional guidebooks.
I’m sure it’s accurate, though. It does document the event and its players well. I’m glad it was written, and did learn some things from it.

Our part in the Cosmos

Excellent reading of a detailed run down of destruction and human behavior. I appreciates the details and real stories from those on the ground and in the air. Having gone into BWCAW and frequented the Gunflint trail made the story alive and makes me much more concerned with fire and forest management.

Our next BWCA trip with include Ham Lake to see regrowth and fire starting point. Thank you.