Wildland Fire Crews

Engine Crew:

Engine Crews are used for initial attack, suppression of small or large fires, support of prescribed fires, patrolling, and providing structure protection.  These crews range in size from three to 10 firefighters and work with specialized firefighting equipment and perform many strenuous activities such as –mobile attack with engines, hose lay, construction of fireline with hand tools, burnout operations, and mopping up hotspots. 

Fuels Crew:

Fuels Crews are used primarily for working on fuels projects which include hazardous fuels reduction and restoration of fire adapted ecosystems.  This work may entail thinning of timber, woodlands, or shrubs with chainsaws; utilizing prescribed fire to reduce fuels; pilling and chipping of slash; chemical application to undesirable fuels;  monitoring pre and post fire effects; and fire suppression on occasion.

Fuels crews occasionally work on fires managed for resource benefits such as prescribed fires Wildand Fire Use fires.

These crews can range in size up to a 10 person crew.  Fuels crews are skilled in a variety of hand tools and chainsaws.

Fire Use Modules:

Fire Use Modules are 7 to 10 person crews with a primary commitment to Wildland Fire Use fires.  Fire Use Modules conduct operations involving fire use and wildland fire with expertise in the areas of fire monitoring, ignition, holding and suppression, prescribed fire preparation and implementation support, hazard fuels reduction, and fire effects monitoring.

Fire Use Modules are developed to be self suffieient and many of their functions are often performed in the rmote back country.

Helitack Crew:

Helitack crews are wildland fires suppression crews specializing in helicopter operations.  Helitack Firefighters are delivered to fires via helicopter and suppress wildfires with handtools and chainsaws.   Helicopters can be equipped with a bucket or fixed tank to drop water or retardant during firefighting operations.  They deliver helitack crews for initial attack, and transport personnel and cargo in support of fires.

Some Helitack firefighters are trained to rappel from the helicopter to reach fires in remote locations.  A Helitack Crew provides land management agencies with a safe, highly skilled and a productive aerial firefighting resource.  The crew can range in size from an 8 to 10 person crew.  Helitack Crews may also be used to support Prescribed Fire Operations or special projects requiring helicopters.

Hand Crew:

Hand Crews can be a crew of 18 to 20.   Hand Crews are used for a variety operations on a wildland fires.  Hand Crews primarily, construct fire lines with hand tools and chainsaws, “burn out” areas using drip torches and mop up hotspots all in efforts to contain, control, and put wildfires out.  Handcrews can also be used for prescribed fire activities. 

Hotshot Crew:

Hotshot Crews are a 20 person organized crew of which is used primarily for wildfire suppression, fuels reduction, and other fire management duties.   They perform the same duties as Hand Crews, however are very specialized and are generally placed in the most rugged terrain on the most active and difficult areas on wildfires.   Hot Shot crews are used mostly on large fires, but can also be used for Initial Attack smaller fires at times.  

Prescribed Wildland Fire Crew:

Participates in prescribed fire and wildfire activities, which may include: burn unit prep, fire operations, maintenance of equipment and supplies, mop up, and monitoring.  

Smokejumpers:

Smokejumpers are highly trained and experienced firefighters who are delivered to wildfires via airplane and parachutes.   In addition to wildland fire suppression, smokejumpers provide hazardous fuels reduction services to land management agencies.   Smokejumpers operate out of any airport with adequate runway specifications, providing long-range, large payload, rapid response to an emerging or ongoing fire.    A plane load of smokejumpers can vary from 8 to 20 depending on the aircraft. 

Smokejumpers come from various fire backgrounds including engines, helitack, Hot-shot crews, or fuels and suppression crews.