This is one of those stories I wish I had created. Mark Brush of the Great Lakes Radio Consortium successfully produces a story on a controlled prairie burn without narration. This is no easy feat. One has to prod the subject to describe what they are doing, what they are wearing and what things look like. That's tough to do well. After a minute or so of setting the stage, one begins to hear the crisp sounds of fire and the voices of workers squawking over radios. According to a story I read in the Economist the other day, there has been a fourfold increase in the number wildfires in the U.S. Those fires are also burning longer and are more difficult to control. With fires raging throughout the west during another hot, dry summer, this would make an excellent companion piece to --- dare I say it? --- another dry news story on those blazes.

Usually when we watch burn crews on television working at a scene, we don't get to hear the sounds. This audio postcard was quite rich in actuality, therefore able to convey the feeling of heat at the location. In addition, we are told the process by which the burn crew attack a fire.