The award-winning podcast follows a misfit group of surfers, dubbed the Point Dume Bombers, who fought tooth and nail to protect their homes against the Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles.
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Sandcastles 
Show Description
On the night of the Woolsey Fire, no one could have imagined where they’d be today–they couldn't think much past survival. It was life or death. But in the days and years that followed what this unlikely band of surfers pioneered could have global consequences. When emergency first responders were overwhelmed by LA county’s most destructive fire, these neighbors and friends stepped up to defend their home turf in Point Dume, Malibu. Their devotion to home drove them to show up for their community in ways no one expected- not even them.
Credits
Host, writer, producer, and reporter: Adriana Cargill. Editor: Sasa Woodruff. Story Editor: Adam Whitney Nichols. Fact-Checker: Audrey Regan. Music composer: Marcelo de Oliveria. Theme Song: Medium Zach. Audio Engineer: Kathleen Yore. Graphic design: Tomas Villasenor
Praise for Sandcastles
2024 Gracie Awards:
-Best Podcast Producer [Digital Media - National]
2024 New York Festivals Radio Awards Shortlist:
-Finalist for Best Narrative/Documentary Podcast
2024 Webby Awards:
-Documentary Podcast Honoree
2023 Signal Awards:
-Gold: Best Documentary Podcast for Limited Series & Specials
-Gold: Best Podcast Trailer for Limited Series & Specials
-Silver: Best Indie Podcast for Limited Series & Specials
-Bronze: Sustainability & Environment Podcast for Limited Series & Specials
2024 Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA):
-Best Narrative/Produced Podcast: Second Place
2024 LA Press Club, 66th Southern California Journalism Awards
-Best Documentary Podcast: First Place
-Best Investigative Podcast: First Place
-Best Limited Series: Third Place
2024 Golden Mike Awards / Radio and Television News
Association of Southern California:
-Finalist for Best Podcast News Reporting
Press
KQED, San Fransisco The California Report: 'Sandcastles' Looks at How a Group of Surfers Help Save Malibu from Wildfire; Redwoods Struggling
Malibu Times: New podcast tells the riveting story of the Point Dume Bombers
Boise Idaho Public Radio, Idaho Matters: How Malibu surfers are fighting wildfires
Oregon Public Broadcasting, Think Out Loud: New podcast highlights community effort to reduce wildfire risk
KUNC NPR for Northern Colorado, All Things Considered: Community reporting of Woolsey Fire provides lessons in preparedness post Marshall Fire
KHOL Community Radio Jackson Hole, Wyoming Jackson Unpacked: As climate change worsens fires across North America, what lessons can local residents take away from a particularly destructive wildfire in California?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Government, Before, During & After Podcast: Episode 123: Resilience After Wildfire- Point Dume Bombers
LAist, Los Angeles: The Big Burn Podcast
Podnews: New Podcast “Sandcastles” Profiles Surfers Fighting Wildfires
Sounds Like Impact Newsletter: Sandcastles Interview with Adriana Cargill
Great Pods: Sandcastles
broadcast
Capital Public Radio NPR for Sacramento/Northern California
KAZU NPR for Monterey Bay, California
Boise State Public Radio Boise, Idaho
Episodes
Episode 1: Castles Crumble
Loss, hope and resilience in the face of one of nature's most terrifying forces: wildfire. We meet a group of surfers called the Point Dume Bombers who stayed in Malibu during the 2018 Woolsey Fire and find out how they survived the most destructive fire in Los Angeles County history.
Episode 2: This Kingdom is Mine
Why do people stay during wildfires and how did the Wild West culture shape the people who live on this hilly, chaparral-covered coastline? A history of Malibu, the evolution of surf localism, and the genesis of the Point Dume Bombers. We meet the obstinate Queen of Malibu whose determination and love of land shaped the culture of one of the best surf spots in the world.
Episode 3: Under Siege, Part 1
Hear the motley new generation of Point Dume Bombers in action as they race to put out hot spots, save homes, get essential supplies through roadblocks, and so much more. They did it all on the fly, but their efforts have inspired a new model of community resilience in the face of ever-worsening wildfires.
Episode 4: Under Siege, Part 2
When Point Dume Bombers are pushed to their limits, will they survive the test? Part 2 of the Under Siege episode chronicles life in the harrowing aftermath of the Woolsey Fire.
Episode 5: Community Brigade
One of the Point Dume Bombers who lost his home in the Woolsey Fire uses his pain and loss as fuel for action. He embarks on a quest to change the way we live with wildfire. The LA County Fire Department, Malibu City Council members, everyday citizens, and other fire brigades in Malibu join his quest to create a new model of community resilience.
Five years later, his relentless drive might just payoff: the Community Brigade Pilot Program is ever so close to becoming a reality.