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Week of Remembrance

2023 WOR: Yarnell Hill Fire 10-Year Anniversary

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Yarnell Hill Fire 10-Year Anniversary

Today’s topic is dedicated to all fallen wildland firefighters. 
May we never stop learning.

 

On June 30, 2013, at 4:42 p.m., nineteen firefighters were killed on the Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona. The Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC) from the Prescott Fire Department was working on the south end of the fire, west of Yarnell, Arizona, when they were overrun.

“Yeah, I’m here with Granite Mountain Hotshots. Our escape route has been cut off. We are preparing a deployment site, and we are burning out around ourselves in the brush, and I’ll give you a call when we are under the ...shelters.”
—Eric Marsh, Granite Mountain Superintendent

The fire had a spread rate of 10 to 12 mph and cut off their escape route as the crew transitioned through unburned fuel from their lunch spot in the black to a local ranch that needed protection.

After quickly improving their deployment site and deploying their shelters close together, the fire overtook them. Unfortunately, the deployment site, located in a box canyon with heavy brush, caused direct flame contact to the shelters with temperatures of approximately 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. One crewmember, the lookout, was not with the crew at the time of their entrapment and was safely transported out of the area by another IHC.

Collaboration with several committees and agencies occurred following the accident to develop a Yarnell Hill Fire Serious Accident Investigation Team (SAIT) and a subsequent report. The report concentrated on helping wildland firefighters of the present and future learn from the tragedy through sense-making, reviewing decision points, and a video. This helped firefighters visualize what happened and how to best learn from the loss of the Granite Mountain IHC members. One recommendation from the report was that the State of Arizona lead an interagency effort to develop a Yarnell Hill Fire staff ride. The first staff ride of this incident began in 2017 and continues to provide lessons for upcoming firefighters while also remembering the members of Granite Mountain Hotshots.

 
This is our history. Learn from it today. Use it tomorrow.

Action and Discussion Items:

  • Watch the Yarnell Hill Fire briefing video provided in the resources section. After watching the video, discuss the events and ideas relayed in the video as a group. Discuss where you were when this incident occurred. Do you remember your initial feelings after hearing about the 19 fatalities? How has this incident changed your perspective after 10 years? Have you changed how you engage in tactics because of Yarnell Hill?
  • Look for staff rides near you that you can attend. They don’t need to be on a fire, (e.g., Gettysburg, Little Bighorn).
  • If you have been on a staff ride, discuss what it was like and the impact it had on you. If you participated in a staff ride outside of fire, how can you apply these lessons to wildland fire?
  • Honor and remember the lives of fallen firefighters throughout this week. Keep talking about these events and what has happened to bring change. Keep moving forward by implementing and learning these lessons.

Resources:

 

Category
Week of Remembrance

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NWCG Latest Announcements

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

ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-004 NEW Aquatic Invasive Species – Golden Mussels

Date: July 29, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee
 

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) issued Equipment Bulletin: 25-004, notifying the wildland fire community about a newly discovered invasive species and actions to take if found. Golden mussels, a highly invasive species recently identified in California, pose a significant risk to native ecosystems, infrastructure, and fire equipment. These mussels rapidly colonize hard and soft surfaces, including aquatic plants and fire equipment, clogging pipes, fouling motors, disrupting water systems, and impacting native species.

To help prevent their spread, fire personnel must follow the decontamination procedures outlined in the NWCG Guide to Preventing Aquatic Invasive Species Transport by Wildland Fire Operations, PMS 444. Additionally, report any sightings immediately to your Lead Resource Advisor and include clear, close-up photos and location details.

Read the complete ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-004 to learn more. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-004

NWCG Guide to Preventing Aquatic Invasive Species Transport by Wildland Fire Operations, PMS 444

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for ICT5 and FFT1

Date: July 29, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Incident Command Subcommittee
Incident Operations Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5) and Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss (FFT1).

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 Incident Commander Type 5 Position Page

NWCG Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss Position Page