A blueprint for fire prevention
The sounds of chainsaws and chippers aren’t normally associated with a sense of new life and vitality. But in Lake County, California, where the 2015 Valley Fire killed 4 people and destroyed nearly 2,000 structures, clearing overgrown brush is not only reducing the risk of wildfire, but also creating jobs and restoring hope.“The Valley Fire made us all wake up and feel that we had to do…
Fire and Aviation Management, community wildfire defense grants, california
Smokejumping
The California Smokejumpers preparing their gear and parachutes after receiving a call from dispatch, July 15, 2023. (USDA Forest Service photo by Tom Stokesberry)
It’s that time of year when wildfire activity is increasing across the country. Have you heard of the Bear Fire, Campbell Fire,…
smokejumpers, paratroopers, firefighters, Fire and Aviation Management
How the Forest Service helped shape our nation’s disaster preparedness framework
In 2001, Forest Service Incident Management Teams and crews responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11th with a well-coordinated response of multiple local, state, and federal emergency personnel. Our response to this national crisis highlighted the critical role of incident management systems when responding to an unforeseen national emergency.The Forest Service has a long…
NIMS, ICS, Fire and Aviation Management, Incident Management System, Incident Response, National Incident Management System, Incident Command System, disaster preparedness
Aviation History Month
Rufus Robinson, Frank Derry and Earle Cooley: Forest Service employees Rufus Robinson and Earle Cooley trained with Frank Derry in 1940. The agency tasked Robinson with building a parachute loft at the Moose Creek Ranger Station after receiving his training in Washington. Both he and Cooley made history on…
Aerial, army, paratrooper, smokejumper, Fire and Aviation Management, american history
Wildland Fires Recognize No Borders
An uncontained forest fire burning in Greece, Germany, or the U.S. looks basically the same: they are all destructive. For this important reason, the USDA Forest Service has a well-established international leadership role in wildland fire management.
Australia and New Zealand fire managers are provided instruction prior to a practice fire shelter deployment. (Photo credit: National…
FAM, Fire and Aviation Management, forest fires, forestry, International Disasters, International Programs Office, national interagency fire center, wildland fire, fire shelter
Forest Service gets to the heart of wildland firefighters
It takes a certain type of person to fight wildfires. It’s not what they look like. Or sound like. It’s not their heritage or their culture. It’s their heart.
A seven-minute U.S. Forest Service recruitment video, “The Heart of a Firefighter,” takes viewers as close to being as firefighter as possible through a small screen.[[{"fid":"38832","view_mode":"fs_wysiwyg_width_360px","fields":{"…