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Week of Remembrance

2025 WOR: Fire Season 2015 – Closing Remarks

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

 

Week of Remembrance 2025 has been spent in reflection of incidents that occurred during the 2015 fire season—10 years ago. Today, on the 31st anniversary of the South Canyon Fire, we also remember the Fallen 14 who lost their lives on Storm King Mountain in 1994. We honor you through our commitment to learning. You are not forgotten.
 

Memorial banner of fallen Storm King firefighters.

It should come as no surprise that many of the lessons from the 2015 fire year sound familiar and feel relevant in today’s fireground. There is a well of value in studying the past to build “slides” that help inform our actions today. On a daily basis, we gather intelligence of current conditions to make safe, sound decisions on the best available information. A parallel intelligence-gathering process can occur when learning from past events.

As we build historical fire knowledge, it turns into awareness. We may recognize a familiar situation, not because we lived it ourselves, but because we invested the time to learn from the past and considered how to apply lessons learned. In that spirit, here are critical questions and lessons (slides) to bring forward from this week’s practice of remembrance. Discuss each with your group.

Idaho BLM Physical Training (PT) Fatality:

  • Medical emergencies can occur during routine daily tasks, like during PT. How is your unit prepared to respond to medical emergencies on and off the fireline? Consider skills, equipment, and training.

Sierra Fire:

  • Is our behavior of accepting risk variable? Do we decline a certain level of risk one day and accept it another day? For example: on initial attack vs. when homes are at risk vs. on a slow, remote fire.
  • How do you decide whether "the juice is worth the squeeze?"

Frog Fire:

  • Firefighters cannot always process the raw data coming at them at a given moment. Instead, what a person pays attention to is a function of identity, past experiences, and one’s own understanding of their purpose. These are human factors in the fire environment.
  • There is an expectation and unwritten agreement with the American public that firefighters will put out wildfires as best we can before they cause problems. This adds pressure into our risk calculus.

De Soto Helicopter Crash:

  • In our uncertain operational environment, the measure of any given risk may be unknowable.
  • Acknowledging that helicopter accidents happen requires us to focus equally on response planning as on prevention.

Twisp River Fire:

  • On expanding incidents, crews get asked to provide leadership staffing and fill needed roles. Does your crew have a “draw down” limit? Does capacity to “loan out” positions change based on fire conditions/complexity?

 

Category
Week of Remembrance
References
South Canyon Fire
BLM Idaho Physical Training Fatality
Sierra Fire Tree Strike Fatality
Frog Fire Entrapment Fatality
De Soto Prescribed Fire Helicopter Accident Fatalities
Twisp River Fire Entrapment and Fatalities
Wisdom of the Crowd

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NWCG Latest Announcements

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for PROC and TIME

Date: July 17, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Incident Business Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for Procurement Unit Leader (PROC) and Time Unit Leader (TIME).

The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) 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 update, scheduled for January 2026.

References:

NWCG Procurement Unit Leader Position Page

NWCG Time Unit Leader Position Page

National Wildland Firefighter Day

Date: July 2, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
National Interagency Fire Center

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) recognizes July 2, 2025, as National Wildland Firefighter Day (NWFFD). Established in 2022, NWFFD honors the dedication of wildland firefighters and support personnel. This day falls within the 2025 Week of Remembrance (June 30 - July 6), providing an opportunity to renew our commitment to wildland firefighter safety while remembering those who have fallen in the line of duty.

NWCG provides leadership to enable interoperable wildland fire operations among federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners. NWCG standards and training establish common practices to contribute to safe, effective, and coordinated interagency wildland fire operations nationwide.

References:

Week of Remembrance

National Wildland Firefighter Day

2025 Week of Remembrance

Date: June 27, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
6 Minutes for Safety Subcommittee

As we approach the 2025 Week of Remembrance (WOR), June 30–July 6, we dedicate this time to reflect on the past incidents from 2015 and honor the fallen through learning. Since its inception in 2014, WOR has honored wildland firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice while encouraging critical discussions that reinforce lessons learned.

Throughout the week, we encourage thoughtful and generative conversations—whether in briefing rooms or at tailgates—that promote a culture of continuous learning and safety.

References:

2025 Week of Remembrance: Letter to Leadership

Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

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