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Stand 1 - Forest Boundary

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

The Mendocino National Forest boundary sign is located at the mouth of Powder House Canyon and is a good location to begin the Staff Ride. It offers a good view of the point of origin and terrain layout. This site also has suitable parking and is easy to find.

The Rattlesnake Fire was started at approximately 14:30 on July 9, 1953. It was the second of two arson fires started by the same individual. The first fire was called the Hull Fire and was set near Chrome, about 10 miles north of this location on County Road 306. The Hull Fire was suppressed at 11 acres on State land.

The Rattlesnake Fire was started on Mendocino National Forest land, along Alder Springs Road, at Oleta Point approximately 2 miles from this location. It was discovered by Mr. A. B. Miller while he was returning to Alder Springs from the Hull Fire. Mr. Miller had to drive past the fire to a point near Powder House Turn to verify that the lookout at Elk Creek Butte had seen and reported the fire to central dispatch at Willows. He reported that the fire was 25' by 30' when he passed it.

See the travel map above.

See the Orthophoto with fire edge and NAD 27 GPS locations for stands shown, above.

The beginning point, Stand 1, of the Rattlesnake Fire Staff Ride is easily identified by the Mendocino National Forest Boundary sign at the junction of Highway 162 and Alder Springs Road.

The beginning point, Stand 1, of the Rattlesnake Fire Staff Ride is easily identified by the Mendocino National Forest Boundary sign at the junction of Highway 162 and Alder Springs Road.

Looking west from Stand 1 at the mouth of Powder House Canyon you can identify Oleta Point (to the right of the telephone pole), which was the Point Of Origin for the Rattlesnake Fire.

Looking west from Stand 1 at the mouth of Powder House Canyon you can identify Oleta Point (to the right of the telephone pole), which was the Point of Origin for the Rattlesnake Fire.

 
Location (SRS)
POINT (-122.59075 39.6566833)
Related Stand
Staff Ride to the Rattlesnake Fire

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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:
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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:

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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