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2025 WOR: Frog Fire Entrapment – July 30, 2015

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

 

Incident Summary:

On the evening of July 30, 2015, 38-year-old Engine Captain, David “Dave” Ruhl, from the Black Hills National Forest, was entrapped and killed while scouting on foot during initial attack (IA) of the Frog Fire on the Modoc National Forest in Northeastern California. The lightning-caused fire was detected at 1732, and an hour after ignition began to rapidly spread through pine, juniper, brush, and grass fuels under the influence of outflow winds. It was around that time that the first of the IA resources arrived on scene and assumed control of the emerging incident.
Wildland firefighter waving to someone to come back to them.Dave Ruhl, in his role as an acting Battalion Chief, arrived on scene roughly 20 minutes later and assumed command as Incident Commander Type 4 (ICT4), with the original IC as his trainee. Dave began scouting the fire perimeter, alone and on foot. Around 1915, Dave was heard over the radio communicating with a helicopter, requesting information about values at risk in front of the fire. Dave’s voice was calm and professional.

The fire continued to grow and was now burning through the wet lines laid down by the responding engines. Over the radio, Dave and his trainee agreed to meet face-to-face to transition to a higher complexity Incident Commander Type 3 (ICT3) organization. Dave never arrived at this meeting, and subsequent attempts to contact him via phone and radio were unsuccessful. At 1930, a 90-degree wind shift triggered the disengagement of suppression resources on the fire. With Dave still unaccounted for, the disengagement from suppression freed up overhead to search for him. 

Sadly, Dave was not found until the following day at 0917. He had apparently been cut off and overrun by fire at about 1936 the previous evening.

Map of Event:

Sketch of frog fire, not to scale.

Discussion: 

  • How often do you scout alone? Do you prefer to scout alone?
  • Are there tools to help build situational awareness on initial or extended attack fires to help make scouting more efficient and safer?
  • How can you protect yourself when you are scouting alone?

     
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NWCG Latest Announcements

2026 Updates to the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1

Date: January 23, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Incident and Position Standards Committee

The Incident and Position Standards Committee has updated the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1.

These updates address changes to incident position names and requirements for qualification, training, and experience. Updates related to the implementation of Complex Incident Management (CIM) and Incident Performance Training Modernization (IPTM) are also included.

The NWCG Wildland Fire Position Qualification Flowchart, PMS 308 has also been updated to reflect the recent changes.

References:

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1

NWCG Wildland Fire Position Qualification Flowchart, PMS 308

IPSC Memo 26-01: January 2026 Updates to the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Positions Qualifications, PMS 310-1

Incident Business Committee Memo 26-01: Updated Emergency Equipment Shift Ticket, OF 297

Date: January 22, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Incident Business Committee

The Incident Business Committee (IBC) has released Memorandum 26-01: OF 297 and 2026 Fire Use. This memo informs the wildland fire community that the updated Emergency Equipment Shift Ticket, OF 297 is available for download and can be ordered through the Great Basin Cache.

Beginning January 15, 2026 the previous version of the OF 297 form has been discontinued.

For further details, please contact your IBC representative.

References:

Incident Business Committee Memorandum 26-01

Great Basin Cache

NEW! S-390, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior Calculations (Blended) Available Now

Date: December 22, 2025
Questions about RT-130? 
Please contact: Fire Behavior Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that the new S-390, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior Calculations (Blended) training is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal.

This third course in the series combines online and instructor-led training components aimed at individuals who are involved in planning, managing, and executing wildland fire and prescribed burn operations; who require a thorough understanding of fire behavior calculations to enhance effectiveness and safety. This includes students who require the knowledge and skill necessary to perform the duties of a Type 3 Incident Commander (ICT3), Division/Group Supervisor (DIVS), or Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2 (RXB2).

Students are required to be qualified as any Single Resource Boss position and complete the prerequisite S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire behavior (Blended) course, before enrolling in S-390.

References:

S-390, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior Calculations (Blended)

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

NEW! S-320, Introduction to Incident Management Teams (Blended) Available Now

Date: December 18, 2025
Questions about RT-130? 
Please contact: Incident and Position Standards Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that S-320, Introduction to Incident Management Teams (Blended) is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal!

This blended course combines online learning with instructor-led training, designed for individuals seeking to build leadership skills and gain experience in incident management.

Students are required to complete the prerequisite trainings ICS-100, Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS), ICS-200, Basic ICS for Initial Response, and ICS-700, An Introduction to the National Incident Management System (NIMS) prior to attending S-320.

References:

S-320, Introduction to Incident Management Teams (Blended)

Wildland Fire Learning Portal