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Week of Remembrance

10 Standard Firefighting Orders

 

The 10 Standard Firefighting Orders and the 18 Watch Out Situations, as referenced in the Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG), PMS 461, provide wildland firefighters with a set of consistent best practices and a series of scenarios to be mindful of when responding to a wildland fire.

A poster with individual line art drawings of the 10 Standard Firefighting Orders and 18 Watch Out Situations used to educate wildland firefighters of the dangers and situations to be aware of.

View the 10 and 18 Poster, PMS 110-18.

The orders are arranged according to their importance and grouped in a logical sequence: fire behavior, fireline safety, and organizational control.

Review and consider Standard Firefighting Orders as a part of every shift.

  • Did you receive or request an adequate briefing, including weather, current and predicted fire behavior, wind direction, predicted humidity, fuel moisture, and/or local factors?
  • Do you have a map of the fire? Are topography, fuel types, and spread direction defined?

The Fire Behavior group addresses conditions the firefighter will encounter – weather, fire status, and fire behavior.

  1. Keep informed on fire weather conditions and forecasts.
  2. Know what your fire is doing at all times.
  3. Base all actions on the current and expected behavior of the fire.
  • Are you familiar with direction, distance, location, and size of escape routes and safety zones?
  • Discuss the need for a lookout, such as extreme fire behavior or a fire located out of your line-of-sight.
  • Discuss the importance of situational awareness.

The Fireline Safety group emphasizes personal safety.

  1. Identify escape routes and safety zones, and make them known.
  2. Post lookouts when there is possible danger.
  3. Be alert. Keep calm. Think clearly. Act decisively.
  • Review the importance and means of sharing tactical decisions and resource movement.
  • Review other factors influencing potential changes in tactics, which could affect control of your forces.

The Organizational Control group is centered around tactical decisions.

  1. Maintain prompt communications with your forces, your supervisor, and adjoining forces.
  2. Give clear instructions and be sure they are understood.
  3. Maintain control of your forces at all times.
  • After you have considered, discussed, and acted on the previous nine orders:
  1. Fight fire aggressively, having provided for safety first.

 

Category
Operational Engagement
References
10 Standard Firefighting Orders, PMS 110
18 Watch Out Situations, PMS 118
10 and 18 Poster, PMS 110-18
Fire Orders: RT-130 Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR)
Standard Firefighting Orders: RT-130 Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refre…
10 Standard Firefighting Orders and 18 Watch Out Situations, Fire Management To…

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NWCG Latest Announcements

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

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