Although the events of Wildfire are fictional, they are based on real wildfires in Maine and across North America. In particular, Rodman Philbrick was inspired by the Great Fire of 1947, when smoke covered the skies of all of New England. Forest fires are a natural part of many ecosystems, and in some cases they can even be beneficial. As Philbrick explains in the book’s Afterword, “certain plants […] depend on fire for reproduction and healthy growth” (181). However, fires can also be extremely dangerous and damaging. They spread very fast, threatening the lives of plants, animals, and humans. As climate change creates hotter and drier summers, the risk of severe wildfires increases. Forest-fire season is becoming longer, hotter, and more deadly every year. Philbrick notes that “the vast majority [of forest fires] are caused by humans” (179), though environmental conditions make them harder to control. This is the case in Wildfire: The bikers start the fires, but the hot, dry conditions of Maine during a drought and heatwave make the fire uncontrollable almost immediately.

Managing wildfires is a major and immediate concern in North America today. Philbrick says that “in 2017, wildfires broke out in all fifty states” (179), and each summer, conditions worsen.