Valentine Fire restores forest and community
Aerial fire ignitions conducted during the Valentine Fire. Spheres, about the size of ping-pong balls, filled with an incendiary cocktail of potassium permanganate activated by ethylene glycol, were dropped by firefighters to reduce the fuels available to the main body of the Valentine Fire. (USDA Forest Service photo by Danny Fairchild)
Smoke rising from a forest is ominous. Often it is the…
2023 valentine fire, wildland firefighting, land management, controlled burn, arizona
A family fire legacy
A childhood dream ignited.Matthew Rau was five years old when his family moved into government housing at a U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service ranger station. Some of his earliest memories are waking up in the mornings and seeing wildland firefighters exercising around the compound. He studied their work ethic and camaraderie and knew from that young age he wanted to be part of it.…
wildland firefighting, mental health, suicide prevention
Affording the fight
Cade Grismer, Eldorado Hot Shot, conducts mop up duties during the Caldor Fire on the Eldorado National Forest, California. (USDA Forest Service photo by Cecilio Ricardo)
Over the past few months, we have highlighted wildland firefighters who support the Forest Service mission to protect our…
firefighters, wildland firefighting, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, firefighter pay
Affording the fight
“Although I know I will never be a rich man doing this job, I show up to work every day because I truly love what I do.” (USDA photo byFrank Monterrosa.)
This is the eleventh story in a series called Affording the Fight.Wildland firefighter Nicholas Brasher’s reasons for getting up every day…
firefighter pay, wildland firefighting, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Southern area a top priority for national wildfire response
On August 24, Forest Service crews assisted Texas A&M Forest Service by putting in containment lines to help slow the Shearwood Creek Fire’s spread in Jasper, Texas. (USDA Forest Service photo by Danny Harris)
The South is burning. Over 15,700 wildfires have burned 505,179 acres since New…
wildland firefighting, wildland urban interface, fire adapted communities, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Affording the fight
Jason Bullough has worked for the Forest Service for nearly 20 years and in wildland fire for 17 of those years. He describes it as a career “measured in overtime.” (USDA Forest Service photo by Crystal Young)
This is the tenth story in a series called Affording the Fight.
“We measure our…