Back to Show
American Experience
The Big Burn, Chapter 1
In the summer of 1910, hundreds of wildfires raged across the Northern Rockies. By the time it was all over, more than three million acres had burned and at least 78 firefighters were dead. It was the largest fire in American history, and it assured the future of the still-new United States Forest Service. The Big Burn premieres February 3 on American Experience PBS.
Support Provided By

52:39
The story of L.A.’s noxious smog problem and the creation of the EPA and Clean Air Act.

52:20
The story of Edwin Land, whose iconic Polaroid camera let everyone instantly chronicle their lives.

53:00
The dramatic story of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990.

1:52:47
The story of one of the most influential yet forgotten civil rights figures, Walter White.

1:51:27
The little-known story of the deadly 1898 race massacre and coup d’etat in Wilmington, NC.

Unlock with PBS Passport
52:36
A look at the US vice presidency, from constitutional afterthought to position of political import.

Unlock with PBS Passport
1:53:04
When US inner cities erupted in violence in 1967, LBJ created a commission to investigate.

1:52:30
The story of housewives who led a grassroots movement to galvanize the Superfund Bill.

52:54
The untold story of the people who fought tirelessly to save women from cervical cancer.

1:52:39
The lively but neglected history of the women who changed the world while flying it.

52:51
The story of the German American Bund, a pro-Nazi group active across the US in the 1930s.

51:46
Explore the culture war that erupted over the spectacular rise of disco music.