Sitemap - 2024 - The Hotshot Wake Up

Introducing, The Big Ernie Cup: What Crew Do You Think Will Take Home The Title?

Research Paper: Suing Utility Companies For Wildfires Transfers Money To Lawyers. We Need To Pay For It Another Way.

181 Firefighters Called To The Horton Fire In Arizona, And Chaos In Oregon After Feds Sue Over Archie Creek Fire.

Retention And Hiring Data Went Ignored: Warnings Of Workforce Issues Fell On Deaf Ears.

Wildfire Pay Fix Stripped From Continuing Resolution, Supplemental Pay to Continue. Massive Changes Coming To Wildfire As We Know It.

National Smokejumper Association Publicly Backs The Permanent Wildland Firefighter Pay Legislation.

Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell: Head Of The U.S. Fire Administration. A Conversation About The Lahaina Fire, Wildfire Tech, And PFAS Affecting Firefighters.

Malibu On Fire: Aircraft Called In From As Far As Texas To Support.

Red Flags Are Back: California Could See An Active Start To The Week.

Supt. Series: Scott Gorman, Former Dalton Hotshot Superintendent And Current Orange County Superintendent.

Wildfire Pay Bill: I Welcome The President Of The Forest Service Council And NFFE Western Region National Business Representative.

Drew's Boots Steps Up To Donate A Pair Of Fire Boots.

The First Look At 2025's Spring Wildfire Potential.

USC Study Says Fire Retardants Are "Laden With Toxic Heavy Metals." Wapiti Fire Camp Burn Over Report.

Pay Wildland Firefighters And Bring Back The Seasonal Employees. A Message To The Department Of Government Efficiency.

After Cutting Non-Fire Seasonals, Regions Start To Cut Permanent And Seasonal Fire Positions.

Joint Letter Sent To Senators Urging Them To Pass Permanent Wildfire Pay Reforms.

The Future Of Wildfire: Agencies', Contractor's, And Innovator's Predictions. The Red Sky And UAFA Wildfire Conferences.

The Office Of Management And Budget Officially Asks For $200M To Fund Permanent Pay For Wildland Firefighters.

What Folks In The Wildfire Industry See Coming Next Year... Change.

A Miracle In Orange County: Wildland Firefighter With Spinal Cord Injuries Walks Again After Crew Buggy Rollover.

Record Acres Burned By Arson In California. 133 Suspects Arrested By CAL FIRE... So Far.

Shoutout To All The Veterans Crews In Wildfire.

Tree Strike Claims Life Of Young Forest Ranger On The Jennings Creek Fire On The NY\NJ Border.

Forest Service Chief Addresses Montana Governor's Letter.

Need A New Pair Of Boots After A Long Fire Season?

After Yesterday's Election Results, What Does Wildfire Policy And The Wildfire Industry Look Like Moving Forward?

The Santa Ana Winds Are Back, And So Are The Power Shutoff Programs.

Wildland Firefighters In Greece Protesting For Permanent Jobs And Fair Wages Get Teargassed And Beaten By Police.

The Never Ending Season:

The Forest Service Has A New Fire And Aviation Director.

A Complex Incident Management Team And Hotshot Crews Ordered For Fire Outside Ruidoso, New Mexico.

Frank Carroll: The Profound Issues With Wildfire Policy And Leadership.

Supt. Truck Burned Over On The Yellow Lake Fire In UT. Firefighter Bitten By Bear On The Shoe Fire In CA.

The Forest Service In Region 5 Suspends Rx Burns Due To Resource Draw Down.

National Forest Warns Of Spike Strips And Wires Across Trails In Oregon.

In A Massive Turnaround, The Forest Service Says They Have Reduced The $750M Salary Budget Gap To $50M.

Governor Orders Flags To Half-Mast After Wildland Firefighter Fatality In Connecticut.

Smoke Exposure, Wildland Firefighters, And Fertility: Dr. Luke Montrose Discusses His New Study Focusing On This Issue.

Monday Update: CalFire Arrest Arson Suspect With Help From The Community. Forest Service Discussing "Buy-outs."

The Oregon Department Of Forestry Got Ripped Apart In The Mainstream Media This Week...

Hiker Charged In Oregon After Rescue Fires Turned Into Wildfires. Is Bridger Aerospace Under Attack?

Chief Brian Fennessy: President Of The California Fire Chiefs Association And Head Of Orange County Fire Authority.

Montana Governor Piles On And Sends Scathing Letter To Forest Service Chief Moore.

Montana Senator and Idaho Governor Question Forest Service About "Full Suppression" Fires.

Wildfire Resources Evacuated From North Carolina Hurricane Relief After Militias Start "Hunting" Federal Employees.

The Last Shift.

Fires Continue To Burn Across The West: Joe Rogan Flown Out Of The Logan Fire In Idaho, Firefighter Struck By Tree During Hurricane Relief.

The Perfect Storm...

A Conversation With FiredUp Partners: What To Expect From The Paycheck Protection Act, The Struggles Of Fire Families, And How To Help.

We Are Back To A PL5... Effective Tomorrow, National Preparedness Increases To The Highest Level.

A Wild Week Of Fires. Crews Stranded, Civilians Injured, And Multiple Safety Zones Used. Crazy Stories From This Busy Week.

Is It Time To Panic? Massive Resource Shortage As Fires Burn And Teams Are Committed To Hurricane Relief.

Rx Burn Lost Now Threatens Watershed In Washington. Wyoming Continues To Rip. Teams And Crews Helping With Hurricane Relief.

If A Bear Tears Apart A Division Supts Tent While They’re Sleeping In Spike Camp, What Should Be Done?

An October Surprise.

Drugs, Guns, Knives, Fights, Stealing, Abusing Ladies Running The Shower Units...

A Crazy Night In John Day...

Oregon DOF Says They Are Out Of Money After Record Year. Arson Charges For Transient in CO After Dog Cremation Starts 7k Acre Fire.

The Harder Amendment #6: Assistance To Firefighters And The Families Of Firefighters Who Were Critically Injured, Ill, Or Killed In The Line-Of-Duty.

Former Hotshot And Smokejumper Jessie Thomas: Sustainable Health And Nutrition Into The Off-Season, And Raising A Fire Family.

Congress Agrees To A Continuing Resolution. This Will Maintain The Wildfire Supplemental Pay Into December.

CAL FIRE Employee Arrested For Arson. Allegedly Started Multiple Wildfires On His Days Off In California.

Mass Casualty Incident After Crew Buggy Rollover In California. 6 Firefighters in Critical Condition. The Forest Service All Employees Call Details.

14 Suspects Arrested For Starting The Portugal Wildfires. Prime Minister: "These Arsons Were Committed In The Name Of Particular Interests."

Suspect At Large After Arson Charges Filed For The 18,200 Acre Larch Creek Fire In Oregon.

Looting Continues In Evacuated Neighborhoods In California. Portugal Pops Off. Europe Orders $1.2B Worth Of Scoopers.

Arsonist Impersonating Firefighters And Law Enforcement Charged In Colorado. The Arsonist Personally Tried Contacting Me.

As Fires Burn And More Wildfire Regions Talk Job Cuts, Congress Argues Over 2025 Budget.

Arrest Made And Arson Charges Filed For The 35,000 Acre Line Fire.

The United States Is Out Of Wildfire Resources. Logistics And Teams Are Tapped Out. The California Wildfire Insurance Crisis Gets Worse.

State Of Emergency Declared In CA, Line Fire Under Investigation. Hotshot Crews Demobed On A Fire For Declining Assignment Due to Safety.

And Just Like That, PL5 Is Back.

Hurt Feelings On The Fireline… Deserving Of Demob? Forest Service Chief Addresses The Financial Crisis.

Fall Wildfire Outlook Predicts A Busy Season Until The End.

After Finding A $750M Budget Hole, Forest Service Regions Start Shutting Down Seasonal Employees. It's Worse Than Most Realize.

Full Review Of The Little Twist Fire Tree Strike. Two States Ban PFAS In Firefighter Nomex. Fire Weather Moves Back In.

After Years Of Getting Stonewalled, NFFE Says The Forest Service Has Failed Employees With The New Firefighter Job Series.

Researchers Testing AI Drone Swarms For Wildfires. Want “Constant Forest Surveillance To Deter Arsonists.”

1,000 Hours Of Overtime And A New Pair Of Boots.

"Toughen Up."

Hotshot Crew’s UTV Stolen. Public’s Help Needed.

FS Chief Moore Calls Out Hypocrisy With Cost Of Living Increases. Says The Feds Are Not Doing Enough. FS Has A $740M Budget Hole.

Project STRATO: The Surveillance And Comms Balloon Coming To A Fire Near You.

Ed Pulaski: A Hero Or An HR Nightmare? The Anniversary Of The "Big Burn."

A Letter From Canada: A Response To The Fatality Investigation And Reporting In British Columbia.

Wildland Firefighter Permanent Pay Fix Passes Senate Appropriations Committee. "Basically A Done Deal."

Balloons Over Boise Fires, It's Not UFOs. More Arson Fires In CA. A Small Lull, But Fire Weather Moving In.

Idaho Calls The Military, Oregon Imports Australians And New Zealanders, And Washington Calls In Yukon Crews.

Snaptember Is Coming, Better Prepare Wisely.

FS Chief's Letter On Injuries And Fatigue. Hotshot Run Over While Sleeping On Oregon Fire. Is The FS Cutting The Seasonal Workforce?

Landslide On The Easy Fire In Washington Temporarily Strands Crews.

Wildland Firefighter Severely Injured After They Were Struck By Tree In Idaho. Airlifted To Spokane ICU For Care.

Weekend Wrap-Up: An Extended Fire Season Coming, Another Sociology Professor Arrested For Arson, Hawaiian Electric Owes $2B For Maui Fire.

The Park Fire: How This Arson Fire Became A Massive California Sh*t Show.

Wildfire Emergency Declaration In WA Due To Fuel Shortage. SEAT Hits Utility Line In WA, Severe Dozer Rollover In CA.

3 Wildland Firefighters and a Pilot Miraculously Survive Helicopter Crash En Route To Pocatello, Idaho.

Utah Holds All Wildfire Resources In State. Incoming Dry Lightning And Record Temps Have Fire Managers Puckered.

1 Civilian Fatality\4 Firefighters Injured On Colorado Fires. 143 Structures Lost On Idaho Fire. 3 Injured On Pioneer Fire After UTV Crash.

It's Just Getting Started...

UTF: "Utterly And Totally F*cked." The Unable To Fill List...

Search\Rescue Officer Runs 1.5 Miles Into Park Fire Saving Trapped Puppies. AZ Fire Destroyed 20 Homes Started By Someone Burning American Flag.

Single Engine Air Tanker Crashes Near The Falls Fire While Working In Oregon.

Park Fire Arsonist Arrested In California. Oregon Begs Feds For Help. 2 Aviation Fatalities In CA.

House Of Representatives Passes The Permanent Pay Fix For Wildland Firefighters.

"Everything’s Going To Be Ok, It's Not That Bad.”

FBI Points To A Couple As Culprits Behind The Salt Fire And 16 Other Fires In New Mexico.

Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane Crashes While Working Wildfires In Italy.

Hazard Pay For Prescribed Fires Agreed To. Forest Service Chief Calls For Trust And Transparency.

Oregon Investigators Offering Reward For Information Identifying Individuals Who Started The 134,000 Acre Cow Valley Fire.

American River Hotshot, Bobby Blaine, And His Hike Across America.

Injuries Start To Stack Up On California Fires. Another Tree Strike and "Unknown Illness" As We Move To A PL5.

Concerning Forest Service Memo: Don't Talk To The Media About The Pack Test Or Physical Training. Alaska Firefighters Get Huge Raise.

Southern California Moves To A PL4, Montana Starts Earlier Than Most Expected.

The Type Of Season That Will Blow Your Boots Out.

Helicopter Crashes Responding To Fire Near Stanley, Idaho. Pilot Miraculously Survives And Hikes Self Out.

Injuries And Tree Strikes Across Multiple Fires. Wildfire Activity Explodes Across North America.

Tragic Week As Pilot In Montana And Wildland Firefighter In Oregon Dies.

3 Firefighters Get Valley Fever On A Fire In Arizona. 72 Hour Report On The Little Twist Tree Strike.

Monday Morning Wildfire Update: Large Fires Across The West.

It's Hot Out, Don't Go "Tango Uniform..."

CalFire Engine Rollover, Multiple Injuries. The Forest Service “Reply All” Heard Around The World.

The South Fork Fire Was Lightning Caused, FBI Still Offering $10K For Information Leading To Arrests For The Salt Fire.

CA Starts Shutting Power Off Due To Wildfire Risk, 100+ degrees. Bridger Aerospace CEO Resigns.

U.S. Medium Bell Helicopters Put On "Tactical Pause" By Fire Agencies After Canadian Helicopter Crash.

Summer Wildfire Outlook: Armageddon And Overtime.

Monday Morning Wildfire Update: Fires Across Alaska, Flooding Across The Southwest, And The Basin Is Drying Out.

Helicopter Crashes While Working Wildfire In Fort Good Hope, NWT, Canada.

Firefighters Robbed In Oregon While Assigned To A Wildfire. Permanent Wildfire Pay Solution Introduced This Morning.

The Annual "19" Installation Honoring Granite Mountain Hotshots Will Come To An End, Finding A Permanent Home In Prescott.

Alaska Goes PL4, PNW Gets Busy, Confusion In Ruidoso After Sheriff Opens Roads But Mayor Rescinds Order.

Forest Service To Offer A Temporary 50% Refund On Employees' Rental Costs.

Bonneville Hotshot Injured After They Were Struck By Tree On The Little Twist Fire.

Monday's National Wildfire Update:

Wildfire Aviation Crash Outside Capitan, New Mexico.

FBI Offers $10,000 Reward For Information Leading To The Arrest Of Suspects In New Mexico.

New Mexico Fires Listed As Human-Caused For 48 Hours, Then Removed. Spokesperson Says It Was An Automated Error.

White House Schedules Wildfire Briefing Next Week With Key Officials.

New Mexico: Structures Lost Now At 1,400. One Confirmed Fatality, And Others Missing.

Multiple Hotshots Lose Their Homes While Fighting The South Fork Fire In New Mexico.

500+ Structures Burned In New Mexico On The South Fork Fire. Night Medivac Of Firefighter In California Yesterday. Taken To Trauma Center.

Forest Service Office Destroyed During The Post Fire In California. Crew Barracks Spared.

Washington See 10k Acre Fire, California With Multiple 14k Acre Fires, Nevada Is Next...

The Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act, Where Are We With It?

Gila Jump Base Update:

15 Structures Lost Due To The Rose Fire In Arizona. 7 Primary Homes.

Utah Rx Declared a Wildfire. Rips 5,200 acres. Great Basin Moves to PL2.

Campfire Causes Colorado Wildfire. Smokey Bear Is Pissed, (a rant). PG&E Gets Into Wildfire Aviation.

Silver City Smokejumper Base Closes For Good, Ending A Long History In The Gila.

They Shut Grandma's Power Off... For Your Safety.

Monday Morning National Wildfire Update, And A Workout:

Forest Service Chief Moore's Full Response After Burn Boss Ricky Snodgrass' Case Dismissed.

6 Firefighters Injured On California Wildfires This Week.

Oregon Burn Boss Case Thrown Out, Rick Snodgrass Is Finally A Free Man. UTV Kickflipped On Prescribed Burn.

92% Of All Wildfires This Year Have Been Human Caused. Those Fires Account For 98% Of All Acres Burned.

A Project Pack Or A Bag For The Buggy:

It's About To Get Hot. The Great Basin Firestorm Of 2024?

Desert Fires. Infernos Or Ashtrays.

California Professor Sentenced To 5 Years In Prison For Arson Related To The Dixie Fire. Full Operational Update.

Wildfire Nomex Being Tested By The Feds For PFAS Chemicals.

Forestry Techs Can Now Opt-In To Become Wildland Firefighters.

Dr. Amber Ortega, AKA Dr. Smoke.

Memorial Day Monday Morning Workout:

Arson Charges Filed Against A Firefighter And Forest Supervisor After Vina Del Mar Fire Kills 137 In Chile.

New Dispatch Study Shows Alarming Depression Rates, 59% Personally Know Wildland Firefighter Who Died Of Suicide.

The Southwest Pops Multiple New Fires Prompting Hotshot Preposition Orders.

A Conversation With Paul Petersen, The Executive Director Of The United Aerial Firefighters Association.

They Spent $500M On Prescribed Fire... And It's Working.

The Real Wildfire Conspiracy: Guilty Plea Entered In FBI Investigation Over Bid Rigging. "Mob Like Activity."

Fire Managers In Arizona Are Concerned About Recent Human Caused Wildfire Activity.

Everyone Knew This Was Coming, Right?

Canada Pops Off: Estimated Nearly 500k Acres Burned. Communications Systems Down Across Northern Canada. Region 3 Orders IMTs To Fires.

HR Hiring Snags.

Mental Health, Physical Health, And Tools To Achieve It. A Conversation With Dani Shedden of Close The Gap Wellness.

Everyone Wants One, And Everyone Needs One.

The Southwest Starts To Simmer...

Hotshot Rig Crushed By Tree In Oregon.

A Nationwide, Year Round Campfire Ban… A Good Idea Or A Ridiculous Virtue Signal?

How A Lightning Strike In Arizona This Week Became An 11,000 Acre Fire...

The Southwest Should Get Us Started, And The Great Basin Will Keep Us Busy.

Firefighter In AZ Nearly Loses Arm From Pulaski Cut. Chief Moore Announces 2024 Fire Season Expectations.

Project Fire Season... and a workout.

Forest Service "Pauses" Hiring While They Count How Many Employees They Have And How Much They Cost.

Are You Gunna Put Up A Tent Tonight?

The Pony Lake Entrapment: Stuck Engines, Burn-Overs, Saving A Bunkhouse, And When To Pop A Shelter…

Dude, Is This Flight Necessary?

A Wildfire Hiring Freeze?! Canada Calls In National Security Investigation Team For Pipeline Fire. Also, The Retardant Cover-Up.

Maui Fire Department Releases Official Timeline Of Events For The Deadly Lahaina Fire.

Forest Service Chief Randy Moore Testifies In Congress About Permanent Pay Increases and Retention.

Being A Wildland Firefighter During World War 3...

After 2 Years, The FEMA Director For The Hermits Peak\Calf Canyon Fire Relief Funds, Resigns.

The Community Helps A Chena Hotshot, And Alaska Legend.

The Deep Creek Canyon Fire Comes Back To Haunt Montana And The Forest Service. Power Companies And Helicopter Crashes.

2 Injured On New Jersey Wildfire. Likely A Human Caused Fire On National Park Service Land.

Do Some Dips And Watch The Eclipse.

2 Firefighters Burned On Oklahoma Fire, Started As Controlled Burn. Also, Red Flags Now = No Power.

Suspected Arsonist Arrested In Colorado, Georgia Firefighter Seriously Injured, Teams Called For Eclipse Mayhem...

Investigation Finds 56% Of Wildfire Vehicles Don’t Have Safety Inspections. Also, Did The Forest Service Lose Their Retardant Contract?!

Critical Training... Some Of You Could Make It, But Honestly, A Lot Of You Couldn't.

The First Real Look At Summer Wildfire Predictions.

Welcome To April: Let’s Start It Off Right

Fatality On Virginia Wildfire After Firefighter Collapses On Scene.

4 Dead In Mexican Wildfires, Including 3 Firefighters And One Police Officer.

Entrapment in Georgia And South Dakota, Both Prescribed Fires. Wildfire Commission Briefs Congress On Recommendations.

After Two Years... It's Almost Here.

Monday Morning Workout: Second Winter Is Coming... But Just For This Week.

Weekly Wildfire Update: East Coast Pops Off, Multiple Teams Ordered. Washington State Scraps Wildfire Risk Map.

The Public Needs To Ask, Do We Want Smokier Springs Or Smokier Summers?

FS Asks For $25M To Improve Employee Housing, $216M For Special Base Rate And Increased Prescribed Fire Pay.

Arizona Predicts Busy May\June Season. British Columbia Turns On AI Forest Monitoring System. Wildfire Fatality In Spain.

March Madness...

Colorado Firefighter Struck By Tree During Felling Operations. Sustained A Fractured Skull And Broken Vertebrae.

Forest Service Looks To Quickly Implement Hotshot Crew Recommendations.

Wyoming Already Burns More Acres Than All Of 2023. Hawaii Installs AI Powered Wildfire Surveillance On The Islands.

Monday Morning Workout: Spring Ahead.

Hotshot Buggy Involved In Traffic Accident In California.

Update: Congress Passes Wildfire Funding for FY 2024, Locking In Supplemental Wage Increase.

Man Caught Allegedly Destroying Wildfire Detection Systems In California:

Type 6 Engine Burned Over In Nebraska. Sawyer Struck By Tree In Texas. Crew Member Burned During Georgia Rx.

A Vicious Cycle: A Wildfire Starts, Power Company Sued, Insurance Canceled, State Bailouts.

Senate Committee Passes Bill To Fully Fund Wildland Firefighter Pay, And More.

March Up A Mountain: It's Good For You.

Just Set Up Dip Sites On Lake Superior...

It's Not A Head Fire... Until It Is.

Southern Area Moves to a PL3.

A Monster In The Panhandle: The Smokehouse Creek Fire Is Now The Largest Wildfire in Texas History.

Wildfire Runs 80+ Miles in Texas Becoming the 2nd Largest in History…

Monday Morning Workout: If You Haven't Got Off the Couch Yet, It's Time.

Update: Wildfire Agencies Planning a Budget Workaround to Keep the Supplemental Pay Going Through 2024.

Fire Season Has Started, and Congress Still Hasn't Paid Wildland Firefighters.

Structure Protection in the Wildland Urban Interface. Are We Doing It Wrong?

Have You Broken In Your Boots Yet?!

What Happened In California Yesterday?

Should Residents Be Allowed to Stay and Fight Wildfires? Rural Canadians Say Yes.

Presidents Day Workout: The Presidential Fitness Test.

Judge Allows Burn Boss Snodgrass to Travel for Wildfires.

Couple Charged in Death of Big Bear Hotshot Squad Boss, Charlie Morton, After Gender Reveal Starts Fire.

Five Firefighters Injured After Burnover In Australia.

Monday Morning Update and Workout:

The Forest Service Just Admitted They Are Broke.

Helping a Sierra Hotshot After Insurance Denies Coverage.

Chief Moore Responds to Arraignment and Charges Against Oregon Burn Boss.

Canada Wildfire Services Hits Record Applications and Recruitment. How Did They Do It?

Monday Morning Workout: How to Hike Better...

Boots for the Boots on the Ground:

Deadly Fires in Chile: 64+ Dead. President of Chile\Governor: “These fires began in four points that lit up simultaneously.”

Early Staging Assignments to the Northwoods Look Likely.

A Conversation with Rotor Founder and CEO Hector Xu About the Potential for Autonomous Flight on Wildfires.

Type 1 Prescribed Fires, Drone Divisions, and Private Burn Bosses Coming to a Region Near You.

Monday Morning Workout: The Last Workout of January.

Your Relationship Isn't a Mark III Pump, So Why Treat It Like One?

The Story of The Beachie Creek Fire: Put It Out, Or Let It Burn? Both Have Consequences.

Forest Service Raises Employee Rent Over 100%...

Lace 'em up, and Break 'em in.

Forest Service Warns Against Dirty NOMEX But Doesn't Mention PFAS Chemicals. KMAX Helicopters Sold in Consolidation Effort.

Fire Chief Severely Burned on a 12 Acre Wildfire in Chile.

2023 Injury, Accident, and Fatality Report Published.

Monday Morning Workout: Break Yourself Off, Or Someone Else Will.

Wildfire Contractors Accused of Bid Rigging in Idaho and "Drowning" the Competition. FBI Investigates After Wiretaps.

Congress Punts The Can Down The Road, Again…

Nova Scotia Man Charged For Starting Largest Wildfire in the Province's History.

Canadian Police Use Tracking Devices to Catch Arsonists. Oregon Bans Insurance Companies From Using Wildfire Risk Maps.

Single Engine Air Tanker Crashes In Chile After Clipping Power Pole.

The Forest Service Chief's Office Puts Out An Update On Retention And Recruitment.

Monday Morning Workout: When You're At The Top, You're Only Half Way There.

Wildland Firefighter Supplemental Pay Update:

Alberta By The Numbers:

Monday Morning Workout: "So, you wanna be on a saw?"

A Shotgun, a Wildfire, and $180,000...

Our First Glance at the 2024 Spring Wildfire Season.

The Nightmare Medical Extraction on the Anvil Fire in Oregon.

Monday Morning Workout: New Year Burner.