RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR)

Duvall Creek IWI Case Study

A case study involving a medical extrication on a wildfire in western Oregon. The person in charge of the extrication had to decide the best method to get the patient to definitive medical care. This case study examines their decision and the factors they had to consider.

Category: Case Studies

Core Component(s):

Local Topics, Incident Reviews and Lessons Learned

Estimated Delivery Time: 50 minutes

Video Length: 9:21

Intent

Review the decisions and outcome of the Duvall Creek IWI on the Anvil Fire, explain the capabilities and limitations of REMS and short-haul, and discuss factors in deciding which to use.

Facilitator Preparation

Review the video, module tools, and additional resources linked below.
Consider additional activities and discussion questions pertinent to your location and agency.
Guide discussion based on the Risk Management Process and the indicated sections in the NWCG Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG), PMS 461. Provide copies of the IRPG for students to utilize and answer questions.

Facilitating the Discussion

Show the video.
Pause when directed.
Facilitate a discussion using the Discussion Questions below.
(Optional) Conduct additional activities pertinent to your location.
Discuss group responses.

Discussion Questions

Situation

What happened and how quickly was it communicated to the appropriate parties? What options were available to resolve the situation? What factors did the Medical IWI IC need to consider before making a decision?

Analysis

What would you have done if you were the Medical IWI IC? Consult the following sections in your IRPG to inform your decision: “Planning for Medical Emergencies (Green).” “Helicopter Extraction Operations (Red).” If time allows, read the Rapid Lesson Sharing document below for more context.

Application

Consider your local unit. What is the terrain like? What resources are available in an emergency medical extraction? What SMEs (subject matter experts) may be available on your unit who may be able to offer more insight?

Resources

Document: Anvil Fire Extraction RLS
Publication: NWCG Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG), PMS 461

Additional Video Information

The video is also available as a download (zip file, size 1.23 GB) with .srt file for closed captioning (you may need to right click and Save As). For information on how to add closed captioning to a video, see this how to page.

Note: For Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, right click the word download and select Save Link As; for IE, right click and select Save Target As.

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Last Modified / Reviewed: February 13, 2026

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Date: March 13, 2026
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The NWCG Leadership Committee is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Paul Gleason "Lead By Example" awards. Award categories include Initiative and Innovation, Mentoring and Teamwork, Motivation and Vision, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Congratulations to the awardees:

Justin Baxter, National Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Operations Specialist, with the U.S. Forest Service — Initiative and Innovation
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RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR)