Illustrated with lush color photography by Jeff Henry and Billings Gazette photographers, Reinhart's story opens with a gripping account of the 1988 wildfires that swept across-smoke shrouded skies, flaming forests, weary firefighters, and evacuations.  Ten witnesses to the 1988 wildfires-ranging from park officials, such as Park Superintendent Bob Barbee, to "ground-pounders," such as helitack fighter Jane Lopez-also tell their dramatic stories.

Reinhart explores the science behind th burning questions of 1988: Will Yellowstone's forests have to be replanted?  Will wildlife habitat recover?  Will people want to visit Yellowstone?

The book illustrates in text and images the park's regeneration: how the orange flames and blackened trees of the 1988 fires are replaced by dense strands of lodgepole pine as well as a new understanding of the importance of fire to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.