In early November 2018, raging wildfires forced the frenzied evacuation of thousands of terrified residents from the cities of Malibu and Paradise, two very different California communities. In the new documentary Bring Your Own Brigade, two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker Lucy Walker captures the heroism and horror of that unfathomable disaster. Embedded with a team of firefighters during the deadliest week of fires in the state’s history, Walker’s film takes viewers on an eyewitness journey into the very heart of the inferno. The result is a remarkable character-driven investigation into the causes of — and solutions to — the global wildfire epidemic that’s engulfing the planet. Drawing on hundreds of hours of astonishing video footage shot by fleeing residents who found themselves surrounded by walls of flames, the film offers a palpable “you-are-there” intensity that serves to highlight the severity of the crisis.