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Week of Remembrance

2025 WOR: Fire Season 2015 – Opening Remarks DRAFT

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 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. All 19 perished. 

Gone, but never forgotten. We will always remember. 

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, 2016 - 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?
     
Category
Week of Remembrance
References
Annual Report – 2015

6MFS Suggestion Form


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ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-003 Flame-Resistant Shirt Survey

Date: June 12, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee

The U.S. Forest Service National Technology and Development Program (NTDP) is seeking input on the Forest Service-designed flame-resistant (FR) shirt, currently available through the National Interagency Support Cache system and FedMall.

NTDP is conducting a product review to improve future FR shirt designs. As part of this effort, a short survey is now open for federal employees who have worn any of three recent FR shirt models. Feedback will guide design improvements to better meet the needs of wildland firefighters.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act, responses are limited to federal employees. The survey is open through September 12, 2025. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-003

NEW! S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended) Now Available

Date: June 10, 2025
If you have questions, please visit our FAQ page. 
If your question is not answered there, you can 
submit your question using our Contact Us form. 
 

The S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended), equips new wildland firefighters with essential skills through a mix of online learning and hands-on training. The course features a required online component and an instructor-led exercise, reinforcing online concepts with practical performance-based training.

The course builds competencies in wildland fire operations, safety, and equipment use, applicable across various operational environments. Both the online component and instructor-led field exercise must be completed to receive a certificate of completion. Students are required to finish the prerequisite S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior, before enrolling in S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended).

References:

S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended)

S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

EMC Memo 25-001: Interim Rapid Extraction Module (REMS) Training and Qualification Requirements

Date: June 3, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Emergency Medical Committee

The Emergency Medical Committee has issued interim guidance for Rapid Extraction Module Support (REMS) teams. Until further notice, Type I and II REMS teams must designate a team leader qualified at Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss (FFT1) or higher. This temporary change replaces the Single Resource Boss (SRB) requirement, which is currently not feasible due to administrative barriers.

This memorandum does not include any other changes to the NWCG Standards for Rapid Extraction Module Support, PMS 552. This interim change takes effect immediately and will remain in place until further notice.

References:

EMC Memo 25-001: Interim Rapid Extraction Module (REMS) Training and Qualification Requirements

NWCG Standards for Rapid Extraction Module Support, PMS 552

Equipment Bulletin 25-002: Chaps, Chain Saw, M-2020, Nonconformities Affecting Use, Appearance, and Serviceability

Date: June 2, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee

The Equipment Technology Committee issued Equipment Bulletin: 25-002 to address a manufacturing nonconformity affecting Forest Service specification, 6170-4K Chain Saw Chaps. The issue applies to chaps manufactured in 2024 and 2025 and distributed through FedMall. These chaps may have incorrectly bound edges that expose inner protective layers.

Independent purchasers should inspect all chain saw chaps received from FedMall beginning in 2024, prior to use. Review the full Equipment Bulletin: 25-002 for inspection criteria and recommended actions.

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-002