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Week of Remembrance

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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?

References:

Category
Week of Remembrance

6MFS Suggestion Form


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NWCG Latest Announcements

2025/2026 Leadership Campaign Quarter 2 Now Available!

Date: February 13, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Leadership Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that the Quarter Two materials for the 2025/2026 Wildland Fire Leadership Campaign are now available! This annual initiative invites all leadership and wildland fire management students to engage with essential skills and knowledge needed to lead effectively in dynamic environments.

This quarter focuses on Leadership Level 2: New Leader (Conveying Intent). Conveying intent is a crucial leadership competency in the high-risk, dynamic environment of wildland firefighting. Months 4 - 6 will concentrate on how successfully conveying intent enhances situational awareness, promotes shared understanding, and empowers firefighters to exercise initiative and adapt to changing conditions.

References:

2025/2026 NWCG Leadership Campaign - Leadership Levels

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

Leadership Committee

Opportunity to Serve the Wildland Fire Community as an IPTM SME!

Date: February 10, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: NWCG SME Specialist

NWCG is seeking experienced wildland firefighters and support personnel to serve as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) initiative. The intent of IPTM is to transition NWCG’s training and qualification system to a performance-based model through updated position descriptions, Incident Position Standards, Next Generation Position Task Books (Next Gen PTBs), and updates to training where needed.

NWCG is currently recruiting SMEs for the following positions:

  • Aircraft Timekeeper (ATIM)
  • Compensation/Claims Unit Leader (COMP)
  • Cost Unit Leader (COST)
  • Crew Representative (CREP)
  • Deck Coordinator (DECK)
  • Fire Effects Monitor (FEMO)
  • Field Observer (FOBS)
  • Geographic Information System Specialist (GISS)
  • Ordering Manager (ORDM)
  • Receiving/Distribution Manager (RCDM)
  • Staging Area Manager (STAM)

Projects begin April/May 2026 and require 15–20 hours per month for 6–8 months, including a five-day workshop in Boise, Idaho this May. Apply by February 27, 2026, at the link below and review the attached document for details.

References:

NWCG SME Interest Sign-up

IPTM Subject Matter Expert Duties and Expectations Document

Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM)

NEW! M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led) Course Available Now

Date: January 29, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Resource Advisor Subcommittee

NWCG is pleased to announce the new M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led) course is now available. This training supports individuals working towards Resource Advisor, Fireline (REAF) incident qualifications.

M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led) training prepares students to serve as a Resource Advisor, Fireline (REAF) as defined in NWCG Incident Position Standards for Resource Advisor, Fireline, PMS 350-112. This course presents scenarios that reflect the diverse challenges a REAF may encounter during an incident. Through these scenarios, participants gain hands-on experience and an understanding of REAF responsibilities in a controlled learning environment.

References:

Resource Advisor, Fireline Position Page

NWCG Position Standards for Resource Advisor, Fireline, PMS 350-112

M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led)

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

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