Fire

Our Fire and Aviation Management (FAM) team provides leadership, coordination, and support for wildland fire and aviation operations across the Pacific Northwest and Alaska region’s national forests and grasslands.

We work with forest units, interagency and state partners, and communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from wildfires. Our role is to mitigate wildfire risk to critical areas, prioritize human safety, and foster long-term forest health.  

What we do:

Our work is grounded in the Forest Service’s commitment to safety, service, and stewardship. We play a key role in helping the agency live its mission through fire—managing risk while using fire as a tool to sustain the land for future generations.

• Strategic Leadership: We help develop fire management strategies that guide how forests prepare for and manage fire—before, during, and after a wildfire.
• Operational Support: We coordinate wildfire response efforts across forests and provide access to regional firefighting resources, including aviation assets like helicopters and air tankers.
• Training & Workforce Development: We help train and certify firefighters, incident managers, and fire support personnel to ensure a well-prepared, professional wildland fire workforce.
• Aviation Management: We manage the safe, effective use of aircraft in fire suppression and other resource management work across the region.
• Fire Prevention & Fuels Management: We support prescribed fire and fuels reduction projects that help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and improve ecosystem health.
• Emergency Preparedness & Incident Coordination: During fire season and other emergency events, we support regional coordination centers and provide incident management support across jurisdictional boundaries.