Toronto writer Gena K. Gorrell is fascinated by fire and firefighting but cannot understand how firefighters can muster the courage to face a fire and do their job. That’s why Gorrell, author of North Star to Freedom: The Story of the Underground Railroad, wrote this book.

Catching Fire covers a lot of ground, from ancient fire worship to how modern technology can be used to catch arsonists. The 10 chapters clearly explain what fire is, how it works, and how it can be defeated once it gets out of control. They are packed with accessible information such as the fact that early fire hoses were made from the intestines of cows and that firemen with long beards used to stuff them in their mouths to prevent them from catching fire. There are also chapters on fire safety, what to do in case of a fire, and first aid treatments for burn victims. An index turns the book into a research tool and allows easy access to the wealth of information.

The very readable text is enriched by numerous stand-alone sidebars that explain, for example, what happens to you when you breathe smoke and how the term curfew came about (from couvre-feu, it refers to the hour when all fires in a town had to be put out or covered so people could sleep). The numerous black-and-white photos range from firefighters at work to a bizarre turn-of-the-century breathing apparatus. Detailed captions explain the pictures and greatly add to their value. There is even a do-at-home science experiment in the chapter on investigating fires.