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2026 WOR: Strawberry Fire Tree Strike Fatality – Justin Beebe

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

 

Today we honor Justin Beebe by reflecting on and working to take forward a personal and collective lesson from the Strawberry Fire. 

Justin Beebe, August 13, 2016

Incident Summary:

The lightning-caused Strawberry Fire started on August 8, 2016, in Great Basin National Park and quickly grew across rough terrain. The Lolo Interagency Hotshot Crew arrived on August 10 to help limit the fire’s spread to the West. On August 13, Justin Beebe, a new member of Lolo’s Saw Team 1, was cutting a large snag that was hung up and supported by another tree. As he was “stepping” it down, the snag pivoted unexpectedly, and the upper portion struck Justin as he attempted to escape. Medics initiated immediate care, and he was extracted by short haul helicopter. Despite these efforts, Justin did not survive his injuries.

Justin Beebe sought challenges, pushed himself to achieve his goals, thrived in team environments, and had a tireless work ethic. His supervisors described him as a man of great character and humbleness. He died while realizing his ultimate dream working as a wildland firefighter. He was an avid mountain man and true Vermonter who knew how to live and love life and those he shared it with. His loved ones ask that you take a long walk in the woods to honor him.

Discussion: 

Justin was filling a position vacated when a regular saw team member accepted an assignment as Crew Boss Trainee. It was an opportunity to demonstrate his skills for a possible sawyer position in the future. This event occurred within a context that is familiar across the fire community: high-value operational tasks, the strong desire to contribute, gain experience, prove competence, pride in one’s abilities, and the pull of crew belonging. A duality exists that many traits inherent in firefighters and necessary to successfully perform the job also influence risk perception and decisions.

  1. What traits or mindsets do you rely on to do your job (confidence, experience, drive, efficiency, perseverance)? How might those same strengths increase your willingness to take on risk?
  2. How might these desires and opportunities to perform influence how we predict, communicate, and mitigate hazards? Does working as a trainee or filler change how you assess hazards? 
  3. What effect do the perceived rewards and consequences have on choosing to continue when a task is not going as planned? What are some ways we can reward stepping back and reassessing?
  4. How do individuals get chosen for these “high-value operational tasks” on your unit?  What are the benefits and drawbacks to doing it this way?

References:

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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