The Hotshot Wake Up

The Wildfire Contracting World: Starting A Company, The Issues, Policy Changes, The Stereotypes, And More. A conversation with one of the most dialed in operators, Derrick Holdstock.

May 21, 2026·1h 10m
Episode Description from the Publisher

On Today’s Show: To Support And Subscribe: 👉https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/Today, I talk to Derrick Holdstock, owner and operator of Western Fire Resources. Derrick has been very proactive in the contracting and wildfire world, recently returning from a trip to D.C.Before he started Western Fire Resources, Derrick was a wildlife biologist who practiced prescribed fire and later served as the Regional Fire Coordinator for West Texas, covering one third of the state. He also worked as a biologist for the Bureau of Land Management before venturing into the contracting world. Derrick is highly versed in everything related to wildfire and the industry. We talk about current issues in contracting, policy, starting a company, the stereotypes, and a lot more. THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP — Thank you to all of our paid subscribers. Your support allows us to donate generously to firefighter charities and supports all of our content. You also receive all of our article archives, more podcast episodes, Monday morning workouts, and also entered into our giveaways, plus more.

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