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Week of Remembrance

2022 WOR: Perspective from the Redmond Interagency Hotshot Crew

 Day 1  |  Day 2  |  Day 3  |  Day 4  |  Day 5  |  Day 6  |  Day 7

 

Perspective from the Redmond Interagency Hotshot Crew

Today’s topic is dedicated to the fallen firefighters on the Fish Lake-Gibson Creek and Thirtymile Fires.

 

A group of men and women standing on rocks wearing helmets engaged in a discussion.

In July of 1977 on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in North Central Washington, long-range spot fires were occurring around the Fish Lake Fire. Ron Neely, District Assistant Fire Management Officer, and a crew of seven firefighters relocated their efforts from Fish Lake to size up a new spot fire. This fire would later be called the Gibson Creek Fire.

  • 1445: Neely sizes up the fire at 1 acre; 3 minutes later, it’s 5 acres. The fire was crowning and moving fast up the canyon.
  • 1540: Garbled distress messages are heard on the radio and a helicopter is used to try to find Neely.
  • 1545: Air attack reports fire at 200 acres.
  • 1557: The time on Neely’s watch when he was found, marking the time he perished in the burnover.

Twenty-four years later in July of 2001, again on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, the Thirtymile Fire was detected near the location of the Gibson Creek Fire. In a steep canyon 30 miles north of Winthrop, Washington, a cooking fire escaped and began burning in hot dry conditions. Spot fires formed and fourteen crewmembers and two civilians were involved in an entrapment. Fourteen shelters were deployed, and four firefighters lost their lives.

After the fatality at Gibson Creek, one of the recommendations made by the investigation team was “The region (R6) develop two Redding type crews to provide experience opportunity for our upcoming fire professionals.” The Redmond Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC) was chosen to meet this critical need. Since 1980, the Redmond IHC has been providing a learning platform for firefighters from various state, federal, and international partners.

Staff rides provide valuable learning opportunities to firefighters. The intent of the program to is to enhance leadership and team building skills within the dynamic and challenging wildland fire environment. The Thirtymile Mile Staff Ride has been one of them. With the proximity of Thirtymile to Gibson Creek, Redmond crew leadership have incorporated the two events into one trip. During these visits, the crew has been involved in maintaining the Fish Lake-Gibson Creek trails and preserving the integrity of the site as a place of learning.

It is hard to quantify the value of these trips. Each person takes away something different from the experience. As firefighters, we engage in these staff rides in a tactical manner, learning from decisions made and the environmental conditions that contribute to fire behavior. The unspoken lesson is that we will not forget our history. Returning to these sites demonstrates that lesson in a tangible manner. We honor the memory of our fallen brothers and sisters by maintaining and propagating this learning culture.

Never Forgotten

Ron Neely, Tom Craven, Karen FitzPatrick, Jessica Johnson, and Devin Weaver

Purple Ribbon
“I had a profound experience on the staff rides with Redmond. Putting myself in the shoes of the men and women who lost their lives brought an elevated level of humanity to the tragedies they experienced. For me, this highlighted the way human factors in fire can impact us. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to pay respect, think critically and learn.”
– Staff ride participant 

 

 

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NWCG Latest Announcements

ETC/RMC Safety Bulletin: 25-001 New Guidance on Laundering Wildland Fire Clothing to Reduce Contamination

Date: Aug 8, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee
 Risk Management Committee

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) and the Risk Management Committee (RMC) have issued Safety Bulletin 25-001: Laundering to Decontaminate Wildland Fire Clothing. Recent research revealed that wildland fire flame-resistant pants and shirts can be contaminated with chemicals from combustion byproducts, including carcinogens, and that common laundering practices can effectively remove these harmful contaminants from wildland firefighter clothing more effectively than previously understood. It is recommended to decontaminate wildland fire clothing as frequently as possible. 

Frequently Asked Questions about this new information and how to implement recommendations can be found on the NWCG Alerts page. Read the complete ETC/RMC Safety Bulletin: 25-001 to learn more. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Safety Bulletin: 25-001

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Laundering to Decontaminate Wildland Fire Clothing

Equipment Technology Committee

Risk Management Committee

FAQ Now Available for Archiving Type 1 and Type 2 Incident Positions

Date: Aug 6, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Incident and Position Standards Committee

To support the transition to Complex Incident Management (CIM), NWCG will archive all Type 1 and Type 2 Command and General Staff (C&G) position qualifications in January 2026, as outlined in NWCG Executive Board Memo 25-002. To assist with this transition, a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document is now available.

This resource answers common questions about the status of Type 1 and Type 2 qualifications, impacts to incident qualification management, training requirements, and resource ordering considerations. Review the full FAQ to learn more.

For additional information on CIM and the transition of C&G positions, see NWCG Executive Board Memos 23-005, 24-005, and 25-002, as well as the Incident Workforce and Development Group webpage.

References:

NWCG Type 1 & Type 2 Position Archiving FAQ

NWCG Executive Board Correspondence

Incident Workforce Development Group

Incident and Position Standards Committee

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for UASD, UASM, UASL and UASP

Date: July 31, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Interagency Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Subcommittee
 

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for all four Unmanned Aircraft Systems positions:

  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Data Specialist (UASD)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Manager (UASM)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Module Leader (UASL)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot (UASP)

The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2026.

References:

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Data Specialist Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Manager Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Module Leader Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot Position Page

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for RADO and INCM

Date: July 30, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Incident Logistics Subcommittee
 

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for Radio Operator (RADO) and Incident Communications Center Manager (INCM).

The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2026.

References:

NWCG Radio Operator Position Page

NWCG Incident Communications Center Manager Position Page