FIRE IN PARADISE

With his seasoned voice and theatrical timing, narrator T. Ryder Smith presents this comprehensive study of the devastating 2018 Northern California fire, which killed 85 people and destroyed more than 14,000 homes. Smith utilizes dramatic pacing—speeding up during the nail-biting personal stories and slowing down when explaining the fire's causes (Pacific Gas & Electric failed to maintain equipment) and behaviors (it was hot enough to melt underground watering systems). The audiobook contains a remarkable weaving together of California history, fire science, climate change, individual accounts of heroism and horror, and fire trivia. (If you live in fire country, you're better off without a long beard or more than two pets.) The result is, among other things, an outstanding study of how humans create and respond to disaster. R.W.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2020 Best Audiobook, 2021 Audies Winner © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2020]