On July 12, 2025, firefighters on the Deer Creek Fire near Moab, Utah, experienced one of the most extreme and rare weather events in wildfire history, a pyro-vortex powerful enough to be classified as an EF2 tornado. With wind speeds reaching 111–135 mph, this fire-generated vortex caused significant structural damage and created life-threatening conditions for crews on the ground.
[Read more…] about Lessons Learned – Pyro-Vortex Tornado on the Deer Creek Fire
On July 17, 2025, a rapidly growing brush and grass fire broke out in the steep slopes of Cottonwood Flats, near the community of Rulison, Colorado. This area is known for its oil and gas infrastructure, and fire resources are regularly briefed on the presence of these operations.
The wildfire’s east side saw the most growth. However, the majority of the oil and gas infrastructure was located on the fire’s northwest flank, where it experienced lower-intensity backing and flanking fire. Two above-ground natural gas lines were near the heel of the fire, one steel and the other a “FlexSteel” pipe. According to local fire and oil and gas personnel, most gas lines are typically buried underground.
[Read more…] about Lessons Learned – Gas Polyurethane Line Ignited by Wildfire
On March 18, 2025, a routine prescribed fire at Indiana Dunes National Park turned into a serious safety incident when a firefighter sustained first and second‑degree facial burns, and a UTV caught fire during suppression efforts.
The team was tasked with burning a 10‑acre section just north of Long Lake, Indiana. Winds were at the upper limit of the prescription, but initial operations proceeded normally.
[Read more…] about Indiana Prescribed Fire Entrapment – Incident Review
This past October in the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge (Comanche County, OK, USA) a skid steer masticator was conducting a hazardous fuels reduction treatment along a paved road. There was additional road grading and other mechanical fuel reduction work for a future prescribed burn occurring on other parts of the refuge that day. Unfortunately, the masticator hit a rock that was hidden underneath the vegetation and, unknowingly, sparked a fire.
[Read more…] about Masticator Sparks Wildfire – Rapid Lesson Sharing
The Nebraska Prescribed Fire Council has published its second issue of Prescribed Fire Lessons Learned! The Nebraska Prescribed Fire Council takes submissions from practitioners on lessons learned from prescribed fires to assist producers, landowners, PBAs, and other prescribed fire professionals to keep improving season after season. This forum has been invaluable in learning from one another in hopes that mistakes or judgment calls turn into valuable lessons for all of us building and contributing to prescribed fire culture. Below are some highlights from this issue.
The Oconee Ranger District conducted a 1,637-acre prescribed fire in Eatonton, Georgia on February 22nd. On the day of the prescribed fire, three firefighters were assigned to the ignition crew and other personnel were assigned to holding and overhead positions. As the morning brief occurred, discussion on hazards including entanglements in vines were common to the area.
[Read more…] about Prescribed Fire Drip Torch Burn – Rapid Lesson Sharing
In Feb. 2023, Oakmulgee Ranger District was conducting their first large burn of the season. Multiple off-unit resources had been requested to assist with the burn, including various firefighters from other regions, Job Corps, Bureau of Land Management, and local militia.
[Read more…] about Lessons Learned – Contributing Factors to UTV Rollover on Prescribed Fire
One of the big takeaways from the 2023 summary of incident reports from the Wildland Fire Lessoned Learned Center was the increase of UTV related incidents. Over the past 14 years, the most UTV related incidents in one year was 5. In 2023 however, there were 13 related incidents. The graph shows 15 accumulated years of UTV involved incidents, including rollovers, entrapments, equipment damage, and tree strikes.
[Read more…] about UTV Incidents Dominates 2023 Lessons Learned
The Burn Boss (RXB2) for the Miccosukee Tribe in Florida and the Regional Fire Management Officer (FMO) for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, started looking for a burn window for the Dubba Shop #2 Prescribed burn.
[Read more…] about Valuable Lessons from Dubba Shop #2 Prescribed Fire in Florida
On August 2, 2023, the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Texas A&M Forest Service on a grass fire at FM 946 South and Harrell Road. A dominant upper-level ridge of high pressure resided over Texas from the middle of June through early August. These conditions resulted in flash drought conditions, which was only intensified by the well below normal rainfall.