WHAT

Response

Wildfire response is an important component of community fire adaptation. From Rangeland Fire Protection Associations to the creation of Potential Operational Delineations, communities are exploring what it means to safely and effectively respond to wildland fire. Who should respond to wildland fires? How are local fire departments engaging in wildland fire? Are there places we can use local knowledge, together with the best in fire science, to make decisions about fire control and management? How can communities interact with incident management teams or share their values before a fire to better inform decision-making on the ground? The nature of wildfire response is multifaceted and complex.

The development of a robust local fire workforce, creation and implementation of mutual aid agreements, and strong interagency collaboration all supports safe and effective wildfire response. Check out the tools, resources, and stories about wildfire response below.

Considerations

1
Who responds to wildfires in your area? Are there places in your community which do not have any designated wildfire response? When local resources are expended, what happens?
2
Urban conflagrations (fires which spread unchecked from structure to structure) are occurring with more frequency. Consider these events when evaluating your local response capacity. If you experienced structure-to-structure ignition in your community, how would you respond?
3
What pathways exist for local resources to support wildfire response? Are there ways local equipment operators can support suppression operations? Are these pathways known and accessible or, if not, are there things you can do to support the connection of local resources to wildfire management operations?

EXPLORE Response RESOURCES

  • WHO

  • WHERE

  • FORMAT

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Found 29 Results

NWCG Guide to Fire Weather Forecasts

Website / Interactive Map
NWCG
This publication is designed for firefighters at all experience levels and for early- to mid-career fire weather meteorologists to guide them on the field expectations of their forecasts. Read More

Northern Rockies Coordination Center Contracting for Fire

Website / Interactive Map
Northern Rockies Coordination Center
This resource, while specific to the Northern Rockies Geographic Area, may provide helpful information to those seeking to contract for wildland fire response. Read More

National Interagency Fire Center Open Data

Database
National Interagency Fire Center
Publicly available federal interagency wildland fire maps and data. Available for multiple formats. Read More

National Interagency Coordination Center

Website / Interactive Map
National Interagency Coordination Center
This site provides links to the 10 Geographic Area Coordination Center websites. Users can find information about current large fires, predictive services (such as weather forecasts, outlooks, and fire danger), as well as logistics and administrative information related to the coordination of wildland fire resource mobilization. The Intelligence component of Predictive Services (either at the... Read More

National Incident Management System Guidelines for Mutual Aid

Guide / Pamphlet / Handout
Federal Emergency Management Agency
This guide covers types of mutual aid agreements, key elements (including insurance and workers compensation), and key elements of operational plans. A valuable resource for those looking to establish mutual aid agreements. Read More

National Fire Protection Association Research Fund

Research
National Fire Protection Association
The purpose of the Fund is to stimulate and provide a mechanism for facilitating research to support the work of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Technical Committees and other NFPA activities. Read More

Multilingual Alerting for the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts

Website / Interactive Map
Federal Communications Commission
Information, resources, and reports to support the accessibility of alert information. Read More

Make Me a Firefighter

Website / Interactive Map
National Volunteer Firefighter Council
This resource from the National Volunteer Firefighter Council contains free resources for fire and EMS departments for recruitment initiatives as well as resources for community members seeking volunteer response opportunities. Read More

InciWeb

Website / Interactive Map
InciWeb
Find information about active fires in your area. Read More

Fire FAQs: Managing Wildfire For Resource Benefit

Website / Interactive Map
Carrie Berger, Stephen Fitzgerald, Daniel Leavell
Contains a history of managed fire, resources, and case examples. A good resource for those looking to learn more about managed wildfire. Read More
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Photo Credit: Amanda Stamper, The Nature Conservancy
Community Profile
Fire Adaptation in the Field
Oregon and Idaho

Communities in Oregon and Idaho have expanded their capacity for wildfire response through the creation of “Rangleland Fire Protection Associations” (RFPAs). RFPAs are trained volunteers who are authorized to respond to wildfires. RFPAs are typically non-profit organizations comprised of rural ranchers, farmers, and other landowners who are outside of, or on the outskirts of, other fire response jurisdictions. RFPAs give local communities the training and skills necessary to respond to wildfires in their place. Oregon and Idaho have state authorities enabling the creation of RFPAs.

Photo Credit: EJ Davis, Oregon State University