Host Dave Schlom is joined by Producer Matt Fidler as they travel up California Highway 36E to visit the communities of Mineral and Mill Creek. Along the way, they see evidence of severe burning in the Payne's Creek area, while Mineral looked relatively unscathed. The community of Mill Creek narrowly escaped destruction, and Dave interviews Joe Van Meter, owner and operator of Mill Creek Resort, along with his wife Jillian.
Van Meter has had to evacuate guests and staff from the property twice in the past three years (the last time being the Dixie Fire in 2021). The resort owner takes Dave and Matt on a walking tour of the property, where they see many signs of the fire and intense efforts by firefighters.
Finally, Dave interviews Lassen National Forest hydrologist Shawn Wheelock, a leader on the USFS Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team, to learn how mega-fires like Dixie and Park affect landscapes and watersheds in the National Forests.
