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Public Distribution

With the retirement of the GeoMAC website for data hosting and public data distribution in 2019, another method of delivering incident geospatial information to the public was needed. The Wildland Fire Interagency Geospatial Service (WFIGS) Group provides authoritative geospatial data products under the interagency Wildland Fire Data Program. Hosted in the NIFC Org, WFIGS provides both internal and public-facing data, accessible in a variety of formats. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) “Open Data” site creates a publicly accessible, searchable website. Open Data sites make authoritative data easy to find and access in multiple commonly used formats. Making perimeters that have been approved for sharing with the public accessible through the NIFC Open Data site has a number of key benefits:

  • Users can access the data in their preferred format – shapefile, geodatabase, spreadsheet, or several flavors of web service.
  • Perimeter data can be shared from the same site as other wildland fire reference data, including dispatch boundaries, Geographic Area boundaries, and predictive service areas.
  • Open Data sites are cloud-hosted and scale to the load put on them, depending on traffic, reducing the cost, and management workload of providing public-facing data.

The NIFC Open Data site URL is http://data-nifc.opendata.arcgis.com/ and requires no login or password.

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Screenshot of the NIFC Open Data Site homepage.

Datasets

Several data sets are publicly available through the NIFC Open Data Site. Details can be found in the description of each service on the site.

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Screenshot of icons and links for the NIFC Open Data Site.

As a GISS you could be asked to use current and/or historic wildland fire data for analysis or maps.  To help understand and use WFIGS data, watch the WFIGS training video.

 

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NWCG Latest Announcements

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for PROC and TIME

Date: July 17, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Incident Business Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for Procurement Unit Leader (PROC) and Time Unit Leader (TIME).

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

References:

NWCG Procurement Unit Leader Position Page

NWCG Time Unit Leader Position Page

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