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

The Ransom Road Fire

Content Warning: This video contains graphic content.

The Ransom Rd Fire occurred on June 8th 1981 on the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. The events of the Ransom Road Fire led to the creation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s professional fire program. Rob Lee, who was second on site at the deployment site, provides a firsthand account of that day. This video uses interview content, reports, and animated maps to provide viewers with an understanding of the event.

Category: Case Studies

Core Component(s):

Fire and Aviation Operational Safety, Human Factors, Communication and Decision Making

Estimated Delivery Time: 40 minutes

Video Length: 21:30

Intent

To provide learners with an understanding of the Ransom Road fire that occurred on June 8th 1981.

Facilitator Preparation

Review the video and module tools. Consider additional activities and discussion questions relevant to the geographic location and your respective agency.

Facilitating the Discussion

Show the video. Facilitate a small or large group discussion using the activity and discussion questions. Present the scenario below and guide students through the exercise.

Scenario

If you are not from Florida: Your crew has been prepositioned to Florida. What are the fuel types that they should be aware of? What are some hazards that they may be unfamiliar with? What firefighting techniques can they expect to encounter? What sorts of weather events are common?

If you are from Florida: You are assigned to give an in briefing to an out of region engine being prepositioned in your area. What are the hazards that they should be aware of? What firefighting techniques are most safe and effective in this area? What weather patterns should they be aware of?

Conduct Activity (Optional)

Divide the class. Give each group the Activity Questions below. Discuss group responses.

Activity Questions

What are some ways we can get stuck?
How do you prepare ahead of time for getting unstuck?
How can we make plans that provide time for getting unstuck?
How prepared are you for treating severely burned coworkers? What measures should be taken to preserve an accident scene?
What factors can lead us from a can-do attitude into a make-do situation? In what ways is firefighting today different than it was in 1981? In what ways is it the same?

Resources

Website: Mental Health Subcommittee Additional Resources

Video/Module: Wildland Fire Mental Health

Video: Invisible Wounds: Living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (7 minutes)

Additional Video Information

The video is also available as a download (Size 4.81GB); with the .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 and Firefox, 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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RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR)