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Stand 3 - East Ridge of Cerro Grande Peak

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on
Photo taken in September 2003 from top of Cerro Grande Peak looking along the east flank toward Los Alamos. Fuels are primarily clump grass with mixed conifer only on the north edge outside the planned burn unit.

Photo was taken in September 2003 from top of Cerro Grande Peak looking along the east flank toward Los Alamos. Fuels are primarily clump grass with mixed conifer only on the north edge outside the planned burn unit.

The modified blackline operation continues down the east flank and completed about 2200. The Burn Boss walks back to the area of the test fire and discovers that the fire had burned through the blackline and burning southwest into the burn unit faster than anticipated. The decision is made to curtail the fire burning towards the west perimeter (Baca Ranch) by burning out the west flank into the saddle.

At 2300, the ignition crew and holding crew return to the test fire area (via Cerro Grande Peak) to complete this operation, while two additional personnel arrive and are assigned to the east flank. Upon successful completion of this operation, the Burn Boss is becoming concerned about the fatigue levels of his personnel. The hand crew plus six NPS employees hike down to the vehicles to rest. The burn plan calls for the Type II crew to be the holding crew during the night operations and once they are released, the remaining NPS personnel become holding resources for the remainder of the night.

The Burn Boss leaves the burn to return to the Bandelier office to begin requesting additional resources.

Photo taken in September 2003 from east flank of Cerro Grande Peak looking southwest. The fuels consist of light grass and more prevalent mixed conifer on the interior portion of the burn.

Photo was taken in September 2003 from the east flank of Cerro Grande Peak looking southwest. The fuels consist of light grass and more prevalent mixed conifer on the interior portion of the burn.

USGS brass marker on the top of Cerro Grande Peak.

USGS brass marker on the top of Cerro Grande Peak.

 
Location (SRS)
POINT (-106.4012 35.8629333)
Related Stand
Staff Ride to the Cerro Grande Fire

NWCG Latest Announcements

ETC/RMC Safety Bulletin: 25-001 New Guidance on Laundering Wildland Fire Clothing to Reduce Contamination

Date: Aug 8, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee
 Risk Management Committee

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) and the Risk Management Committee (RMC) have issued Safety Bulletin 25-001: Laundering to Decontaminate Wildland Fire Clothing. Recent research revealed that wildland fire flame-resistant pants and shirts can be contaminated with chemicals from combustion byproducts, including carcinogens, and that common laundering practices can effectively remove these harmful contaminants from wildland firefighter clothing more effectively than previously understood. It is recommended to decontaminate wildland fire clothing as frequently as possible. 

Frequently Asked Questions about this new information and how to implement recommendations can be found on the NWCG Alerts page. Read the complete ETC/RMC Safety Bulletin: 25-001 to learn more. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Safety Bulletin: 25-001

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Laundering to Decontaminate Wildland Fire Clothing

Equipment Technology Committee

Risk Management Committee

FAQ Now Available for Archiving Type 1 and Type 2 Incident Positions

Date: Aug 6, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Incident and Position Standards Committee

To support the transition to Complex Incident Management (CIM), NWCG will archive all Type 1 and Type 2 Command and General Staff (C&G) position qualifications in January 2026, as outlined in NWCG Executive Board Memo 25-002. To assist with this transition, a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document is now available.

This resource answers common questions about the status of Type 1 and Type 2 qualifications, impacts to incident qualification management, training requirements, and resource ordering considerations. Review the full FAQ to learn more.

For additional information on CIM and the transition of C&G positions, see NWCG Executive Board Memos 23-005, 24-005, and 25-002, as well as the Incident Workforce and Development Group webpage.

References:

NWCG Type 1 & Type 2 Position Archiving FAQ

NWCG Executive Board Correspondence

Incident Workforce Development Group

Incident and Position Standards Committee

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for UASD, UASM, UASL and UASP

Date: July 31, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Interagency Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Subcommittee
 

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for all four Unmanned Aircraft Systems positions:

  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Data Specialist (UASD)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Manager (UASM)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Module Leader (UASL)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot (UASP)

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

References:

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Data Specialist Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Manager Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Module Leader Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot Position Page

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for RADO and INCM

Date: July 30, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Incident Logistics Subcommittee
 

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for Radio Operator (RADO) and Incident Communications Center Manager (INCM).

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

References:

NWCG Radio Operator Position Page

NWCG Incident Communications Center Manager Position Page