She became a ‘hotshot’ wilderness firefighter to write about being on the front lines

Author Kelly Ramsey details how her new book, ‘Wildfire Days,’ chronicles her time fighting some of California’s most dangerous wildfires. We also check in with Diesel, A Bookstore.

This week, we are jumping into the fire with Kelly Ramsey. Her new book, “Wildfire Days: A Woman, A Hotshot Crew, and The Burning American West,” chronicles her time fighting some of the state’s most dangerous conflagrations alongside an all-male crew of Hotshots. The elite wildland firefighters are tasked with applying their tactical knowledge to tamp down the biggest fires in the state. We also look at recent releases reviewed by Times critics. And a local bookseller tells us what our next great read should be.

In 2017, Ramsey found herself in a holding pattern. Living in Austin, with an MFA from the