July 4th: A Bit of a Lull After Days of Extreme Fire Behavior

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Colorado wildfires see a welcome lull after days of explosive growth, with fire behavior moderating across the state and in neighboring regions. In this evening’s briefing, fire analyst and mapping specialist Zeke Lunder walks through a landscape that is still dangerous, but clearly less volatile than it has been during the last three broadcasts. High … Read more

Wildland Fire Tactics During Extreme Conditions – 7/3/2026

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Recorded July 3, 2026 – “Colorado Tactics” Lookout Livestream In this livestream, Lookout wildfire analyst and mapping specialist Zeke Lunder walks through a series of large ongoing fires in Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, using current perimeters and high‑resolution terrain models to explain what firefighters can and cannot realistically do to control wildfire burning under today’s … Read more

Western Fire Situation: Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico Face Critical Days Ahead

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By The Lookout Recorded: July 2, 2026 – Morning Livestream Hot, dry, windy weather is driving rapid growth on multiple fires across Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico, with limited safe options for direct attack. Some blazes appear to be burning through areas that have recently been “treated” for fuels reduction, but remain highly flammable, due … Read more

Colorado Goes Off – 7/1/2026

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Write-up based on a AI-generated summary of the 7/1/2026 Lookout Livestream Colorado Goes Off: Extreme Fire Behavior Grips the Rockies and Beyond On July 1, 2026, Colorado and parts of the interior West experienced explosive wildfire behavior under what veteran fire analyst Zeke Lunder described as “apocalyptic weather coupled with apocalyptic fuels.” From the Aspen … Read more

Critical WUI Fire in Colorado, and an Epic Rant about our Global Shit-show.

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This is a good one! Colorado’s Critical Fire Week: Aspen Acres, Gold Mountain, Willow, Snyder & More Livestream recap and analysis from The Lookout – June 29, 2026 AI-generated summary of the Livestream, edited by Zeke Lunder, wildfire analyst and founder of The Lookout Big-Picture Setup: Why Colorado Is Flaring Up Now As of June … Read more

Utah Fires Calm Down – 6/29/2026

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This Lookout Livestream provides an update on Utah Wildfires for 6/29/2026 AI Summary of Lookout Livestream, edited by Zeke Cottonwood Fire (Utah) The Cottonwood Fire has largely quieted down after several active days earlier in the week. According to weather data from the Cottonwood Mountain station, strong nighttime humidity recovery (coupled with an easing of … Read more

Western U.S. Wildfires Surge Under Powerful Southwest Winds; Three Firefighters Killed in Colorado

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Note: This article is based upon an AI-generated summary of today’s Lookout Livestream. It has been edited and proof-read by a human. Watch the Livestream, here: Western U.S. Wildfires Surge Under Powerful Southwest Winds; Three Firefighters Killed in Colorado Strong southwest winds and critically dry conditions across the interior West have driven explosive wildfire growth … Read more

Wicked Winds on Utah’s Fires – 6/26/2026

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In this Lookout Livestream, we discuss the Cottonwood fire in Utah, highlighting its current (Lookout estimate) size of over 90,000 acres and potential expansion to well over 100,000 acres. The fire, burning in the Tushar Mountains of SW Utah, has been active on the northwest and south flanks, with significant runs driven by southwest winds. … Read more

Evaluating the Cottonwood Fire’s Potential

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This Lookout Livestream reviews recent behavior of the Cottonwood Fire in Utah—its big run up Beaver River through Copes Basin and Eagle Point Resort, current lull due to higher humidity, and potential for major spread in the coming days/weeks. We also use predictive fire spread modeling tools from the Pyregence Project to evaluate potential long-term … Read more

A Complex Burn on a Hot Day

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Join Lookout Host Zeke Lunder and the First Rain crew on a late-season prescribed burn in Nevada County’s high-risk wildland–urban interface. We break down real-time decisions on firing patterns, smoke, wind, and tricky mining topography while trying to reduce dangerous fuels without torching the overstory. If you geek out on prescribed fire, fuel loads, and … Read more

Geeking out on Wildfire Fuels

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In this Lookout Livestream, we dive into the fascinating (we think!) world of wildland fire fuels. We talk about the terminology and basic science of wildfire, and how the vegetation, homes, weeds, forests, and other burnable things on the landscape affect the way that fires behave. We also talk about the seasonality of wildfires in … Read more

Mapping Industrial Hazards

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In this livestream, we use the Garden Grove HazMat disaster, in Orange County, California, to explore publicly-available data which shows the locations of major industrial users/producers of chemicals. We explain the use of geography tools for mapping and understanding pollution, highlighting the importance of zoning, stormwater management, and environmental justice. We use data from the … Read more

Geeking out on Air Tankers with Juan Browne

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In our latest Lookout video, Juan Browne, of the ‘Blancolirio’ aviation YouTube channel and I check out the insides of 3 different air tankers, and learn about new ways that companies are converting commuter planes into the next generation of airtankers.

Geopolitics of the Middle East

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The latest installment in our Middle East series zooms out from individual countries to explore the broader geopolitics of the region, with a particular focus on how geography shapes power. Starting from early 20th-century maps, the video shows how the Middle East transitioned from empires and loosely defined regions like Mesopotamia and Persia into the … Read more

I Dislike Small Planes

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20 years after a close call ended my aerial photography career, I got an invitation to fly over the Park Fire scar, right here in our backyard, with the legendary aviation YouTuber, Juan ‘Blancolirio’ Browne. After some trepidation, I jumped in his Cessna 206 and we had a grand tour of this nearly 500,000 acre … Read more

Why Can’t We Secure the Strait of Hormuz?

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In this Lookout briefing, we use maps and terrain analysis to explain why geography sits at the heart of the escalating crisis in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. We begin by situating Iran in its regional context—comparable in size to the U.S. West Coast and bordered by Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and … Read more

The Geography of Iran

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In this episode of The Lookout, we take a look at the geography of Iran. The article below is an AI-generated summary of the video, above, which was narrated by Zeke Lunder. The original narration was developed without the use of AI. Iran’s geography is often flattened into a stereotype of endless desert, but in … Read more

Flying Over the Dixie and Park Fires

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I recently had a work trip to the Midwest, and my return flight (Denver to Redding) took me right over the Feather River Watershed and the massive 2021 and 2024 Dixie and Park Fire burn scars. This was the first time I’d been on this particular transect of a landscape that I know really well, … Read more

What is a FORT?

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We’ve got a new sponsor, here at The Lookout! Wildfire Safety Systems has invented a fireproof shed/wildfire shelter, the ‘FORT’, that you can stay safe in if you get trapped by wildfire at your home. It’s also a place you can stash all of your heirlooms and treasures if you have to evacuate and don’t … Read more

Panel Discussion: Colgate Disaster, Hydropower, Flooding, Fish

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In part two of our coverage of the ongoing disaster at the Colgate Powerhouse, in Yuba County, Zeke Lunder and guests discuss the collapse of the Colgate penstock in Yuba County, California, following a major spill when the penstock which feeds the powerhouse ruptured. The disaster, which occurred after significant upgrades, has impacted water management … Read more

Colgate Powerhouse Disaster

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In this Lookout Livestream, we discuss the emergent Colgate Powerhouse penstock failure in Yuba County, California, which occurred when a major water pipeline that supplies the Yuba Water Agency’s New Colgate hydroelectric powerplant, ruptured, releasing a small river’s worth of water onto a steep mountainside, causing significant environmental damage and massive sedimentation in the Yuba … Read more

A Winter Burn in Butte County

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On January 16, 2026, the Butte Prescribed Burn Association conducted a landowner burn in Forest Ranch, with about 30 participants from various organizations. The burn area, which had been previously thinned, was covered in a layer of pine needles, oak leaves, and twigs. This video is about the importance of community involvement and cooperative efforts … Read more

Large Wildfires Torching Chile, Again.

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Big wildfires burning in Chile are torching a region where native forests have been replaced with highly-flammable industrial tree farms which have experienced many large/disasterous fires in the past. This map shows current fires with perimeters of 2023 fires in yellow, and 2017 fires in blue.  These maps show industrial tree farms, in green. Many … Read more

Anniversary of the LA Fires

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Zeke, Denny O’Neil, and Tim Chavez had a phone call today week to catch up on the LA Fires. The three of us, along with Harrison Raine, toured the fire areas and Santa Monica Mountains back in May 2025, and made a docu-series about it called ‘DANGER IN PLAIN SIGHT‘. The three recounted their journey … Read more

Travelogue: Wildfire Hazards in Cameron Park

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We took a little day-trip to visit relatives in Cameron Park this week, and it got me thinking about the debate around ‘Zone Zero’ – new regulations which will mandate wildfire mitigation (removal of flammable vegetation and materials) within 5 feet of homes in the most fire-prone areas of California. We’ve got a short new … Read more