American Experience: The Big Burn

Inspired by Timothy Egan's best-selling book, The Big Burn is the dramatic true story of a wildfire that swept across the Northern Rockies in the summer of 1910. The fire devoured more than three million acres in 36 hours, confronting the fledgling US Forest Service with a catastrophe that would define the agency and the nation's fire policy. As America tries to manage its fire-prone landscapes in the 21st century, this documentary provides a cautionary tale in the face of nature's power.