As industrialization surged across the country and westward colonization leveled forests to build cities, fires became a mainstay in American life. And as populations grew, so too did the human toll that fire could exact. Through the 19th and 20th centuries, Americans searched for new and innovative ways to combat the threat of fire. And with climate change threatening to set the whole world aflame, we are once again in a fight for our planet’s future. Filled with photographs, illustrations, facts, and pull-out boxes for eager nonfiction readers.