Management
Wildland fires are a force of nature that can be nearly as impossible to prevent, and as difficult to control, as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods.
Wildland fire can be a friend and a foe. In the right place at the right time, wildland fire can create many environmental benefits, such as reducing grass, brush, and trees that can fuel large and severe wildfires and improving wildlife habitat. In the wrong place at the wrong time, wildfires can wreak havoc, threatening lives, homes, communities, and natural and cultural resources.
The Forest Service has been managing wildland fire on National Forests and Grasslands for more than 100 years. But the Forest Service doesn’t – and can’t – do it alone. Instead, the agency works closely with other federal, tribal, state, and local partners.
This is more important than ever because over the last few decades, the wildland fire management environment has profoundly changed. Longer fire seasons; bigger fires and more acres burned on average each year; more extreme fire behavior; and wildfire suppression operations in the wildland urban interface (WUI) have become the norm.
To address these challenges, the Forest Service and its other federal, tribal, state, and local partners have developed and are implementing a National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy that has three key components: Resilient Landscapes, Fire Adapted Communities, and Safe and Effective Wildfire Response.
About Our Crews & Resources
HISTORY The Burnt Powder Fire Zone was formed in 1983 from Pine Ranger District in Halfway, Baker Ranger District in Baker City and the Unity Ranger District in Unity. The ranger districts were then combined in 2006 and renamed the Whitman Ranger District. The zone is responsible for protecting 700,000 acres of Forest Service land and another 300,000 acres of mutual aid land. The north end of the zone borders the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area and the Eagle Cap Wilderness. The southern end goes to the Monument Wilderness and borders the Malheur National Forest. The diverse terrain includes the Elkhorn Mountains to the Wallowa Mountains, with peaks above 9,000’. The zone gets an average of 50 fire starts a year. The zone also staffs 3 lookouts for fire detection from July-September.
FIRE SEASON Fire season typically starts the beginning of July, peaks in mid-August and ends sometime early October. June is a busy month of preparedness training. The Burnt Powder Fire Zone averages around 50 initial attack fires with a few large fires (greater than 100 acres) per season. The Fire Zone helps support large fires in Region 6 (WA, OR) and nationally with our Forest 20-person Type 2 I.A. crew or engine modules. During fire season we could work up to 7 days a week and extended staffing up to 16 hrs. Fire assignments can last up to 14 days, not including travel. So be prepared to be gone for several weeks.
FIRE CREWS The Burnt Powder Fire Zone on the Whitman Unit of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is home to a variety of Initial Attack Modules staffing out of 3 different duty stations. On the southern end of our zone and boarding the Monument Rock Wilderness, in the town of Unity we staff a Type 6 Engine Module and a 5- person Initial Attack module. The compound in Unity has government housing available and consists primarily of fire personnel during the months of fire season. Our eastern most duty station, bordered by the Snake River and Eagle Cap Wilderness is the town of Halfway. Here we staff a Type 6 Engine Module along with a 10 Person Initial Attack Crew. The compound in Halfway also has government housing available and provides living and office accommodations for fire personnel as well as other employees year-round. The central hub of our zone is in Baker City where the Whitman District Office and Compound Work Center are located. At this location we staff a Type 3 Engine Module, a Type 6 Engine Module, and a 10 Person Initial Attack Crew. Zone Fire Management Officers and Fuels Staff operate out of this location also. There is no government housing in Baker City. Across the zone our engine module configuration is: Supervisor Fire Engine Operator, Fire Engine Operator and Assistant Fire Engine Operator and 2 crew members for a total of 5 personnel. The 5-person squads consist of Supervisor, Squad Leader and 3 crew members. The 10-person I.A. crew configuration is Supervisor, Assistant, Squad Leader, Senior Firefighter and 6 crew members.
DAILY OPERATIONS Fire crews begin the day with vehicle checks followed by zone operational briefing. Next is an hour of PT (physical training). Then it is off to the woods for project work. This may include forest stand improvement work; prescribed burn preparation, thinning small diameter trees with chainsaws to reduce hazardous fuels, timber sale and thinning layout. We also maintain the facilities at all three locations, which includes grounds and building maintenance. Our fire prevention program includes Smokey Bear visiting the schools in the spring and in a variety of parades during the summer.
HISTORY The Wallowa Fire Zone consists of 3 districts encompassing 1.3 million acres. Eagle Cap Ranger District, Wallowa Valley Ranger District and Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. Within these three districts is the largest wilderness in Oregon, the Eagle Cap Wilderness, Hells Canyon Wilderness (in Oregon and Idaho) and the Seven Devils wilderness in Idaho. The mighty Snake River divides Oregon and Idaho in the deepest river gorge in North America. This area is very unique with a rich natural and geologic history. The diverse terrain includes the Wallowa Mountains, with 20 peaks above 9,000’ to elevations below 1,000’ in Hells Canyon. Varying ecosystems include sub-alpine/montane in the higher country to native bunchgrasses in the canyon grasslands.
FIRE CREWS The Wallowa Fire Zone is home to 3- Type 6 engine modules, 2- 5 person Initial Attack squads and a 10 person I.A. Crew/Wildland Fire Module (pending certification). The engine module configuration is Supervisor Fire Engine Operator, Fire Engine Operator and Assistant Fire Engine Operator and 2 crew members for a total of 5 personnel. The 5-person squads consist of Supervisor, Squad Leader and 3 crew members. The 10 person I.A. crew configuration is Supervisor, Assistant, Squad Leader, Senior Firefighter and 6 crew members.
DAILY OPERATIONS Fire crews begin the day with vehicle checks followed with zone operational briefing. Next is an hour of PT (physical training). Then it is off to the woods for project work. This may include forest stand improvement work; prescribed burn preparation, thinning small diameter trees with chainsaws to reduce hazardous fuels, timber sale and thinning layout. Facilities maintenance projects including historic lookouts and guard stations. Our fire prevention program, includes Smokey the Bear and Sparky the Fire Dog. Then it is back to the fire warehouse for equipment maintenance and debrief.
FIRE SEASON Fire season typically starts the beginning of July, peaks in mid-August and ends sometime early October. June is a busy month of preparedness training. The Wallowa Fire Zone averages around 35 initial attack fires with several large fires (greater than 100 acres in timber and 300 acres in grasslands) per season. The Fire Zone helps support large fires in Region 6 (WA, OR) and nationally with our Forest 20 person Type 2 I.A. crew or engine modules. During fire season we could work up to 7 days a week and extended staffing up to 16 hrs. Fire assignments can last up to 14 days, not including travel. So be prepared to be gone for several weeks.
LOCATION The Grande Ronde Fire Zone is centrally located on the Wallowa- Whitman National Forest. La Grande is the hub for fire and fire support resources which includes the Grande Ronde Fire Zone, Dispatch, Hotshots, Rappellers, Fire Cache and Tanker Base. The Grande Ronde Valley is surrounded by the Blue Mountains and the Eagle Cap Wilderness within the Wallowa Mountains. There are many scenic areas of interest around the Grande Ronde Fire Zone including Mt. Emily Recreation Area, Catherine Creek, Bird Track Springs and Moss Springs.
FIRE CREWS The Grande Ronde Fire Zone is home to 2- Type 6 engine modules, 1- Type 3 engine module and a 10- person I.A. Hand Crew. The engine module configuration is Supervisor Fire Engine Operator, Fire Engine Operator, Assistant Fire Engine Operator and 2 crew members for a total of 5 personnel. The 10- person Hand Crew configuration is Supervisor, Squad Leader, 2 Senior Firefighters and 6 crew members. There are 3 contracted Lookouts on the zone which include Johnson Rock, Point Prominence and Mule Peak. There are also 2- 20 person Hotshot Crews; Union and La Grande. The Grande Ronde Rappellers which is a 40- person rappel crew with 2- Type 2 Helicopters and 1- Type 1 Helicopter.
DAILY OPERATIONS Fire crews begin the day with vehicle checks followed with zone operational briefing. Next is an hour of physical training (PT). Then it is off to the woods for project work. This may include forest stand improvement work, prescribed burn preparation, thinning small diameter trees with chainsaws to reduce hazardous fuels, timber sale and thinning layout. Facilities maintenance projects including historic lookouts and guard stations. We have a fire prevention program that engages the community, with visits from Smokey Bear. Then it is back to the fire warehouse for equipment maintenance and debrief.
FIRE SEASON Fire season typically starts the beginning of July, peaks in mid-August and ends sometime early October. June is a busy month of preparedness training. The Grande Ronde Fire Zone averages around 25 initial attack fires with a few large fires per season. The Fire Zone helps support large fires in Region 6 (WA, OR) and nationally with our Forest 20 person Type 2 I.A. crew or engine modules. During fire season we could work up to 7 days a week and extended staffing up to 16 hrs. Fire assignments can last up to 14 days, not including travel. So be prepared to be gone for several weeks.
ABOUT THE CREW The Grande Ronde Rappellers are a 38- person crew of highly trained aerially delivered wildland firefighters sponsored by the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, based in La Grande, Oregon. The crew consists of 27 permanent and 11 temporary seasonal positions. The mission profile of our crew is primarily initial attack via rappel or helitack. The crew also engages in large fire support, search and rescue and prescribed fire assignments. We share responsibility for initial attack on the Wallowa-Whitman and Umatilla National Forests with other local resources, however we are a National resource that has responded to fires throughout the country. Our unique method of delivery and rigorous training requires candidates to be in top physical shape.
FIRE TRAINING Beginning in early May each year, rappeller rookie training is a five-week program designed to hone the skills and test the abilities of prospective rappellers. The curriculum is a mixture of classroom time and field-based work, including annual fire and saw refreshers, basic aviation and helicopter crew member indoctrination, and copious amounts of physical training. Midway through the training cycle, rookies can expect to enjoy five days in the field for Mountain Week. This experience is tailored to simulate many of the physical and mental stresses of remote firefighting. Finally, rookie training culminates with successful candidates being sent on to the National Rappel Academy in Salmon, Idaho.
RAPPEL TRAINING The National Rappel Academy is a performance-based training program, demanding a high level of physical and mental toughness of candidates. Training begins in ground school, progresses to the rappel tower and aircraft simulators, and culminates with live rappels in typical mountain terrain. Typically lasting from a week to twelve days, this is a highly regimented and demanding program, with each progression in the training sequence building upon the last; as such, the highest level of proficiency is required in each portion of the training. Failure is not uncommon. Those who succeed become part of the small and tight-knit community of helicopter rappellers.
Mission Statement
The mission of the La Grande Interagency Hotshot Crew is to provide our public and cooperating agencies the highest level of service in wild land fire operations and suppression.
We are a diverse team of highly skilled and highly motivated professional fire managers. As a team we are dedicated to performing our jobs safely, effectively and positively.
We take pride in the service we provide and strive for excellence in our performance.
About the Crew
The La Grande Hotshot Crew is composed of 20 firefighters. The permanent crew members include a GS-9 Crew Superintendent, a GS-8 Crew Supervisor, and three PSE (permanent seasonal) GS-6 Squad Bosses and two or three PSE GS-5 Senior Firefighters.
The temporary employee crew members typically consist of approximately five GS-5 Lead Firefighters, six GS-4 Advanced Firefighters, and two GS-3 Firefighters. The GS-5 Lead Firefighters are typically Class C Fallers, EMT's, or CDL Commercial Drivers.
Our Season
The crew typically starts mid-May and completes two weeks of training before being available to go on fires. The crew will typically run through mid-October.
Home base is the La Grande Airtanker Base located in La Grande, Oregon.
The La Grande Hotshots, and our sister crew, the Union Hotshots are the only two crews in the lower 48 states that share a common base.
History
The La Grande Interagency Hotshot Crew was first established on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest by the U.S. Forest Service in 1967 as the Wallowa-Whitman Inter-Regional Crew.
The Wallowa-Whitman Inter-Regional crew was a 25 person crew, and was located at Sled Springs Guard Station, approximately 20 miles north of Enterprise.
In 1978, the crew moved to La Grande and became known as the La Grande Interagency Hotshot Crew.
About the Job
The primary mission of the La Grande Interagency Hotshot Crew is to provide our public and cooperating agencies the highest level of service in wild land fire operations and suppression. Much of the job entails building hand line on out-of-control wildfires. As an Interagency Hotshot Crew, we are available nationally to respond to wildfires and other emergencies. We travel throughout the country and into Canada to do this.
As hotshots, we are given the difficult assignments, and are often on the front lines of complex fires, in adverse situations and at remote locations.
The La Grande Hotshots work safely through strict attention and compliance with LCES (Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones); The 10 Standard Fire Orders; And The 18 Situations that Shout Watch out.
These are our standards, and they are the key to safely working day after day in potentially dangerous situations.
The job requires that we are physically and mentally fit for long hours of work in challenging situations.
Training and experience is crucial to accomplish our job in a safe, efficient manner.
Daily Operations
There are no "normal" operations - every day is different, and it is unknown what the day will bring until after it's over. The day at home base usually starts with an hour of PT (physical training) which includes calisthenics, running, weights, etc.
If an assignment doesn't come up, project work is generally the order of the day. This can include building hand-line around prescribed burn units, burning those units, fuels inventories, recreational site projects, and various other tasks for the forest as needed.
Equipment maintenance is also an essential duty, especially if we've recently returned from a fire assignment.
Fire Season
Just as no day is a "typical day", no season is a "typical season". We average 10 to 20 fire assignments per season, with an average of somewhere around 60-80 days assigned to fires. During an average season, a crewmember working from May through October can typically earn around 600 to 700 hours of overtime. Extended seasons have gone over 100 days assigned to fires, and 800 to 1000 hours of overtime earned, but this is the exception - not the rule. Wet seasons have resulted in as few as 25 days assigned to fires, but again - this is the exception.
We are available for dispatch 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have a two-hour callback limit when we are off-duty. During the peak of fire season, it is common to be away from base on assignments for up to 21 days, return for two days of required R&R, and then be reassigned. Needless to say, when you are a hotshot during the summer that is about all you are.
Fire assignments often involve large, difficult fires. Fire camps are the norm at these fires, but it is common for us to be "spiked out" (remotely camped away from fire camp with few amenities) for several days at a time. During these spikes, hot meals are often flown in by helicopter, but we also eat our share of MRE's (military style packaged meals)
We usually travel in our crew "buggies" - 10 passenger trucks with storage for our gear. It is not uncommon for us to log 12,000 miles during a summer. On assignments far out of the area such as Alaska or Florida, we can be flown by jet.
Union Interagency Hotshot Crew will accomplish all assignments with Integrity, Leadership, Respect and Safe Practices.
The purpose of the Union Interagency Hotshot Crew is to provide a safe, professional and highly skilled 20 person hand crew for all phases of wildland fire suppression. Union Hotshots will perform quality work; from building hotline to mopping-up, under some extreme firefighting conditions.
About the Crew and Our History
The Union Interagency Hotshot Crew was started on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest by the U.S. Forest Service in 1980. We are one link in the chain of more than 60 National Interagency Hotshot Crews.
Located in the city of La Grande, Oregon; the Union Hotshots and our sister crew the La Grande Hotshots are the only crews in the lower 48 states that share a common base. These crews are situated in the heart of fire country, able to respond rapidly to incidents in the Pacific Northwest, the Great Basin and throughout the United States and Canada.
Our Season
The crew typically starts mid-May and completes two weeks of training before being available to go on fires. The crew will typically run through mid-October. Home base is the La Grande Airtanker Base located in La Grande, Oregon.
About the Job
The rigors of Hotshot Crew Life demand that an individual be in top physical and mental condition. Crews are often called upon to work with minimal support for many days in isolated areas under hazardous environmental conditions. Individuals must main a positive attitude in order to overcome the arduous nature of this demanding job.
As an Interagency Hotshot Crew, the crew is available nationally to respond to wildfires and other emergencies. We travel throughout the country and into Canada to do this.
The Union Hotshots work safely through strict attention and compliance with LCES (Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones); The 10 Standard Fire Orders; And The 18 Situations that Shout Watch out. Additionally training and experience is crucial to accomplish our job in a safe, efficient manner.
Daily Operations
There are no "normal" operations - every day is different, and it is unknown what the day will bring until after it's over. The day at home base usually starts with an hour of PT (physical training) which includes calisthenics, running, weights, etc.
If an assignment doesn't come up, project work is generally the order of the day. This can include building hand-line around prescribed burn units, burning those units, fuels inventories, recreational site projects, and various other tasks for the forest as needed.
Equipment maintenance is also an essential duty, especially if we've recently returned from a fire assignment.
Fire Season
Just as no day is a "typical day", no season is a "typical season". We average 10 to 20 fire assignments per season, with an average of somewhere around 60-80 days assigned to fires. During an average season, a crewmember working from May through October can typically earn around 600 to 700 hours of overtime. Extended seasons have gone over 100 days assigned to fires, and 800 to 1000 hours of overtime earned, but this is the exception - not the rule. Wet seasons have resulted in as few as 25 days assigned to fires, but again - this is the exception.
We are available for dispatch 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have a two-hour callback limit when we are off-duty. During the peak of fire season, it is common to be away from base on assignments for up to 21 days, return for two days of required R&R, and then be reassigned. Needless to say, when you are a Hotshot during the summer that is about all you are.
Fire assignments often involve large, difficult fires. Fire camps are the norm at these fires, but it is common for us to be "spiked out" (remotely camped away from fire camp with few amenities) for several days at a time. During these spikes, hot meals are often flown in by helicopter, but we also eat our share of MRE's (military style packaged meals)
We usually travel in our crew "buggies" - ten passenger trucks with storage for our gear. It is not uncommon for us to log 12,000 miles during a summer. On assignments far out of the area such as Alaska or Florida , we can be flown by jet.
HISTORY La Grande, Oregon is home to one of Region 6 (USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region 6) Air Tactical Group Supervisors (Air Attack) duty stations. The air attack position supervises and commands tactical aircraft over a wildland fire and controls the airspace within a fire traffic area. The air attack responds to fires in areas surrounding La Grande including Washington, Oregon, and Idaho on all jurisdictions. From April to July, the air attack and aircraft are assigned to other regions during their fire season. During the month of July, the module is moved back to Region 6 as the local fire season starts.