Everything Fire: An Inside Look with Brian Cardoza and Bret Gordon
Join us for an in-depth conversation with wildfire professionals Brian Cardoza and Bret Gordon as we explore everything fire. From their backgrounds and experiences in the fire service to the science behind fire behavior, this discussion covers a wide range of topics that shape how we understand, manage, and respond to wildfires.
We dive into fire suppression techniques, fuel types, fire behavior, mitigation strategies, and the proactive measures that can help reduce fire risk and protect communities. Through their professional experience and firsthand insights, Brian and Bret offer valuable perspectives on the challenges of managing fire and the importance of preparedness, prevention, and effective response.
Whether you're a fire service professional, a land management specialist, or simply interested in learning more about fire, this conversation offers an informative look at the people, practices, and science behind it all.
Words from Brian Cardoza:
1. When and how did you first get into wildland fire and for how long? Locations and crews as well if you want.
My name Is Brian Cardoza. I retired in 2025 as the Idaho City Hotshot Superintendent. I held that position for over 20 years. My dad was a wildland firefighter and got me my first job at the age of 18 on a hotshot crew in California. I loved it and ended up making a career out of it that lasted 34 years of wildland fire fighting.
2. What regions and or types of fuels have you spent the most time working in?
As a hotshot I was able to go to fires all over the country as well as Australia and Canada. In my career I have been on the largest fires in state history in numerous states. We have put out hundreds of fires. Many of these have been burned up by larger fires over the years. My crew works in all fuel types with the primary mission always being safety for the public and my firefighters and protecting values at risk.
3. What types of fuel around homes cause the most problems during fire suppression?
Values in the urban interface are usually the most difficult values to protect. Homes usually come with additional hazards such as propane tanks, powerlines, and toxic smoke to deal with. Idaho Firewise has suggestions for fire resistant landscapes. The most difficult fuel to deal with around your home will be thick trees with low branches (ladder fuels) brush and any other fuel that can loft embers or make direct flame contact with your house. A low intensity ground fire can usually be handled easily by trained firefighters but a high intensity fire with torching trees requires the responder to access their safety before engaging.
4. What makes a neighborhood easier/harder to protect?
I am not sure a neighborhood would be easier or harder to protect but a lot of times you can be a little more aggressive fighting fire in a neighborhood because there are usually open safe areas somewhere in the near vicinity. When I go to protect a house or a neighborhood I first look for an open area (safety zone) that if I get trapped while fighting the fire I can go to to be safe. Let the fire burn around us. If I find an area like that then I am much more comfortable staying and fighting the active fire, If I can't find a place like this then we usually do as much fuels mitigation as we can until we feel like we have to leave. This is a major disadvantage because if trees torch and loft embers into your roof or under your porch no one will be there to put them out.
To protect your home it is imperative that we create a fuel bed that will only sustain low intensity fire and there is a place nearby that firefighters will feel safe staying in the event that the road in/out is compromised. The same is true for a neighborhood except this is a neighborhood effort. We typically see in California entire neighborhoods being lost to wildland fires. Typically it is only one or two houses that catch fire from the wildland fire. But once a house catches on fire it puts out an incredible amount of heat that can easily spread to nearby houses. Especially if the wind is blowing.
5. From your past experience, when you see a low snowpack winter, what can we expect for the upcoming fire season?
In my experience snowpack has little effect on predicting fire season in the intermountain west. I believe what matters much more is having an early warm dry spring followed by a hot dry summer. These conditions followed by thunderstorms that are mostly dry have been the biggest fire years. Some of our busiest seasons in Idaho have followed big snow years. This makes predicting the fire season in the winter very challenging.
6. What are the benefits of creating defensible space?
The number one benefit of creating defensible space is you won't have to hope some wildland firefighter has time to do it in the event of a fire. You will undoubtedly have a much higher chance of saving your property in the event of a wildfire. Once again in a neighborhood this needs to be a group effort. One house catches on fire and sometimes that house can take the whole neighborhood.
One note to remember is the intensity of a fire is driven from the fuels and the weather. You may have a low intensity fire one day and a very high intensity fire another based on the weather. When doing fuels mitigation, plan around high fire danger days. These will be the days that typically burn down most values when things happen fast and there is not much time to prepare.
Words from Bret Gordon:
1. When and how did you first get into wildland fire and for how long? Locations and crews as well if you want.
I began working for the Forest Service in 2008 and shortly after was trained through basic fire school. After spending a few years on a trail maintenance crew, I had the opportunity to join a local fire crew, Boise Crew-3, on what is called a “detail.” A detail is a two-week temporary assignment where you fill in wherever the crew needs support. Following my detail, I was offered a full-time position, which I accepted immediately. For the next four seasons, I worked summer months with Crew-3 while attending Boise State University in the fall and spring. During this time, I gained valuable experience through project work around the district and active wildfire suppression. However, I wanted to challenge myself by joining a crew with a busier, longer fire season and transitioning to wildland firefighting full time.
In July of my final season with Crew-3, I was fortunate to detail with the Idaho City Hotshots. After spending two weeks with them, I was invited to stay for the remainder of the season. Again, I accepted without hesitation and was officially hired by the crew in the fall of 2016. Over the years, I served as a sawyer and swamper, eventually advancing to an overhead position. I earned key qualifications such as ICT5 and Crewboss, as well as certifications including EMT and Faller-1. During my last two years on the Hotshots, I was a permanent member of the overhead team, where I developed a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of how our module and adjoining resources could be most effectively utilized in fire suppression efforts.
Working on a hotshot crew offers a unique chance to operate as part of an elite fire suppression team. We respond directly to the most intense fires, encountering fire behavior that few will ever witness, and many cannot fully comprehend. This experience has given me a profound understanding of fire dynamics and advanced suppression tactics. My time with the Idaho City Hotshots profoundly shaped my approach to wildfire management. Although I moved on from the crew in 2023, I continue to apply the knowledge and skills I gained in my current career as a structure firefighter.
2. What regions and or types of fuels have you spent the most time working in?
I have fought fires in Idaho, California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. I have spent the most time in the “Great Basin” region 4 which is primarily Idaho, Utah, Nevada and parts of Wyoming. This region comprises a unique mixture of dense conifer forests, high desert sage/grass, and the classic pinion pine and juniper fuel combination. These fuel types provide a multitude of different fire behaviors. The dense forest can create high intensity fires that take their time burning through large patches of fuel, as well as rapidly spreading fires through light and flashy fuels that go out as fast as they spread.
3. What types of fuel around homes cause the most problems during fire suppression?
Any fuel that could potentially provide an ignition source a route into your home can be disastrous. Landscaping can enhance the aesthetic of your home and property, but it should never do so at the expense of your safety. Make sure that you have a minimum of 30 ft of defensible space around your home whenever possible. This does not mean that you should not have any plants, trees, or shrubs within 30 ft from your house, just make sure they are spaced in an appropriate manner and don’t infringe on the structure itself. If you have a larger property, make sure dead trees or plants are removed before they become a hazard. Consider thinning excess fuels before they become a problem.
4. What makes a neighborhood easier/harder to protect?
Neighborhoods that are easy to protect have healthy fuels that are maintained with appropriate spacing and have had all the dead fuel removed. They have 30 feet of defensible space around structures, and ample water sources nearby that can be utilized in case of an emergency.
The hard ones have an abundance of fuel around structures and no water sources or a source that is inadequate for suppression.
5. From your past experience, when you see a low snowpack winter, what can we expect for the upcoming fire season?
Low snowpack is a critical factor in the prediction of fuels moisture for an upcoming fire season. This means that the fuel such as grass, shrubs, or trees, will have less water available to them. This causes them to be drier than they would in a year with ample snow pack. Dry fuels are more receptive to ignition than fuels with a high moisture content. This can play a major role in how rapidly a fire spreads once an ignition source is applied. A dry fuel bed, created by low snow pack, is a variable that could lead to an active fire season when combined with ignition sources such as lightning strikes, arson, or accidental human starts.
6. What are the benefits of creating defensible space?
Creating defensible space around your home offers numerous important benefits. It not only removes flammable materials from direct contact with your house but also provides firefighters with the necessary room to work effectively during an emergency. When a home is surrounded by excessive fuel, such as dense vegetation or debris, firefighting crews must first concentrate their efforts on clearing these hazards before addressing other critical tasks. However, if the fuel around your home is kept manageable or completely removed, firefighters can shift their focus to other essential tactics to protect your property from an approaching wildfire. They can establish defense lines, set up sprinkler systems, and develop safe access and escape routes, all of which greatly improve the chances of saving your home.
In another scenario, if the plants or debris near your house catch fire, their proximity directly affects the potential damage. Trees, shrubs, or other vegetation close to the house can act as “ladder fuels,” carrying flames directly to your siding, eaves, or even through windows. This can turn an outdoor fire into a dangerous structure fire, dramatically increasing the risk of losing your home and belongings. While any fire on your property is serious, a fire that destroys your house and everything inside is an entirely different and far more devastating situation.
