CBC today announced the launch of the new CBC Edmonton original podcast WORLD ON FIRE, available now on CBC Listen and everywhere podcasts are available. Hosted by Our Edmonton’s Adrienne Lamb and wildfire expert Mike Flannigan, this five-part series looks at what it takes to find hope in the midst of fear and destruction caused by wildfires. The devastating events cost individuals their health, homes and communities, yet people everywhere manage to rebuild, survive and thrive.
“Alberta has been hit hard by serious wildfires in the past decade, burning millions of hectares of land, destroying homes and towns, and forcing thousands of people to run for their lives. But this isn’t just an Alberta problem — it’s a global one, with wildfires burning bigger, hotter and faster, spurred on by climate change, development and human action,” said Stephanie Coombs, Director of Journalism and Programming, CBC Edmonton. “We wanted to take a deeper dive into what’s going on: the cause of the fires, their physical, financial and psychological toll, and the new tools and technology that are being used to understand them. Partnering with our CBC colleagues in Calgary, British Columbia, Ontario and California, we bring you stories from the front lines of this unprecedented threat.”
About the hosts:
Adrienne Lamb is an award-winning journalist who has covered wildfires in Western Canada for many years. In 2016, she produced the wildfire documentary World on Fire for CBC Radio One’s Ideas, and in 2019, hosted the national CBC Radio special Smoked Out: How wildfires are changing Canadian summers.
Mike Flannigan is a Professor of Wildland Fire with the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta and the Director of the Canadian Partnership for Wildland Fire Science (a four-way partnership with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, BC Wildfire Service, Natural Resources Canada and the University of Alberta).
All five episodes of WORLD ON FIRE are available now on CBC Listen and everywhere podcasts are available. CBC Listen is available as a free app for iOS and Android devices and online at cbc.ca/listen.
