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Week of Remembrance

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2025 WOR: Fire Season 2015 – Opening Remarks

Letter to Leadership |  Day 1  |  Day 2  |  Day 3  |  Day 4  |  Day 5  |  Day 6  |  Day 7  

 

This Week of Remembrance (WOR) reflects on firefighters who have died in the line of duty during the 2015 fire season. WOR is a time for honoring through remembrance and learning from unintended outcomes. While we look back on those lost 10 years ago, we also remember the Granite 19 who perished together on this day in 2013.

Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC) was entrapped by rapidly moving fire driven by powerful outflow winds when traveling through an unburned area towards a designated safety zone on the Yarnell Hill Fire. Communication was lost for a duration of time while they were on the hill before their escape route was cut off. Granite Mountain had minutes to improve a deployment site before the fire overran them in deployed shelters. 19 perished together and one crewmember serving as lookout survived. 

Gone, but never forgotten. We will always remember. 

poster of the nineteen fallen firefighters.

Fire Season – 2015

Nationally, 68,151 wildfires were reported (93% of the 10-year average), burning 10,125,149 acres (145% of the 10-year average), breaking the earlier record for total acres burned. It was the worst fire season in history since the 1960s and the first time that 10 million acres burned had been recorded. The season was preceded by a dry winter and followed by higher temperatures. It was a year marked with intense drought that contributed to the increase in fire activity. The year appears to have preempted an overall and continued increase to year-round fire seasons. The wildland fire community lost 13 firefighters during the 2015 season.

This Week of Remembrance, we honor these fallen firefighters:

Clifford “Cliff” Sanders 
(January 29, 2015 – KS) 
Collapsed during IA response, stroke.
Jerold “Jerry” Bonner 
(Mar 6, 2015 – CA) 
Pilot, Alma Helitack Base, heart attack.
Brandon Ricks 
(Mar 30, 2015 – MS) 
DeSoto RX, helicopter crash.
Steve Cobb 
(Mar 30, 2015 – MS) 
DeSoto RX, helicopter crash.
Matthew C. Miller, Sr. 
(April 7, 2015 – OR) 
WCT, heart attack.
Raymond Araujo 
(April 13, 2015 – CA) 
PT, heart attack.
Ian Haxton 
(June 6, 2015 – AZ) 
WCT, collapsed.

Terry K. Sonner 
(June 10, 2015 – ID) 
PT, medical emergency.
David “Dave” Ruhl 
(July 30, 2015 – CA) 
Frog Fire entrapment.
Michael “Mikey” Hallenbeck 
(Aug 8, 2015 – CA) 
Sierra Fire, tree strike.
Richard Wheeler 
(Aug 19, 2015 – WA) 
Twisp River Fire, entrapment.
Andrew Zajac 
(Aug 19, 2015 – WA) 
Twisp River Fire, entrapment.
Tom Zbyszewski 
(Aug 19, 2015 – WA) 
Twisp River Fire, entrapment.

Reflections:

Our personal experiences influence how we respond to events. WOR can be a challenging time for all of us as we remember those lost. Give each other space and grace to process and do not be afraid to ask for help. Check in with your people. Remember, it is okay to not be okay.

Discussion:

  • Where were you/what were you doing when you heard the 19 had perished?
  • What does the WOR mean to you and what are some ways you reflect?
  • How do the tragedies you have experienced or learned about affect you and continue to affect you? 

References:

Category
Week of Remembrance

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NWCG Latest Announcements

2025 Paul Gleason Award Winners Announced

Date:  August 13, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Leadership Development Subcommittee

The NWCG Qualifications Management Committee (QMC) and Leadership Development Subcommittee (LDSC) are proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Paul Gleason "Lead By Example" awards. Award categories include Initiative and Innovation, Mentoring and Teamwork, and Motivation and Vision.

Congratulations to the awardees:

  • Hunter Bell, U.S. Forest Service — Initiative and Innovation
  • Shannon Deane, U.S. Wildland Fire Service— Initiative and Innovation
  • Chris Delaney, U.S. Wildland Fire Service — Motivation and Vision
  • Sean Peterson, U.S. Forest Service — Mentoring and Teamwork

References:

Paul Gleason Lead By Example Award

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program (WFLDP)

Leadership Development Subcommittee

LMC Equipment Bulletin 26-001: Aquatic Invasive Species – Seasonal Reminder for Mussels

Date:  July 30, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Equipment and Technology Subcommittee

The Logistics and Equipment Management Committee (LMC) issued Equipment Bulletin 26-001: Aquatic Invasive Species - Seasonal Reminder for Mussels, reminding the wildland fire community that aquatic mussels continue to be a problem. 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 (with a pen or your hand for size reference) and location details.”

Read the complete LMC Equipment Bulletin 26-001, to learn more. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

LMC Equipment Bulletin 26-001: Aquatic Invasive Species - Seasonal Reminder for Mussels

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

Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Task Book Update

Date:  July 24, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Tree Felling Subcommittee

NWCG Operations Management Committee (OMC) has issued an update to the NWCG Position Task Book for Intermediate Faller (FAL2), PMS 311-91. To ensure clarity for both trainees and evaluators, the updated FAL2 Position Task Book (PTB) explicitly states who is authorized to sign off on your tasks:

“Evaluators must be qualified as a FAL2, or an Advanced Faller (FAL1).”

If you are currently working out of a previously published version of the FAL2 PTB, you do not need to restart. However, OMC highly encourages you to take the following step to prevent any confusion in the field:

  • Print and replace the updated evaluator information page (page 2) in your current physical PTB.

References:

Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Page

RMC Memo 26-01: Transition Plan for Implementing Updates to Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Qualifications

NWCG Position Task Book for Intermediate Faller (FAL2), PMS 311-91

Equipment Advisory 26-001: Potential Front Driveline Joint Failure on 2018 and Earlier Ram Pickups

Date:  July 10, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Equipment and Technology Subcommittee

The Logistics/Equipment Management Committee (LMC) has released Equipment Advisory 26-001: Potential Front Driveline Joint Failure on 2018 and Earlier Ram Pickups. This advisory highlights multiple U.S. Forest Service regions reporting front driveline joint failure incidents.

This advisory recommends firefighters and fire managers to: 

  • Follow all Ram-issued inspection, maintenance, and service guidance for front driveline joints. 
  • Consider installing a driveline loop. 
  • Coordinate with fleet managers and service providers to determine the most appropriate driveline loop kit for each pickup.

For further details, please refer to the complete advisory.

References:

Equipment Advisory 26-001: Potential Front Driveline Joint Failure on 2018 and Earlier Ram Pickups

Technical Service Bulletin: 03-002-21