Published July 2, 2025
July 2 is National Wildland Firefighter Day, a day when we honor the wildland firefighters, support staff, and contractors that serve and protect our communities and landscapes across the country.
Every fire season, these brave people step out into the roughest terrain, often spending long stretches of time away from home and family. Wildland fire crews contribute countless hours of hard work every year to manage beneficial fires and suppress dangerous wildfires, and our communities and natural resources depend on their dedication.
Each year in June, Lomakatsi crews from across the region transition from ecological fuels reduction and prescribed fire to wildland fire response. We’re grateful to all our crew members for their year-round dedication toward healthy forests and more resilient communities. In 2024, Lomakatsi’s Wildland Fire Hand Crew and Engine were active from June through October, earning accolades throughout the fire season for completing complex and challenging assignments on multiple fire incidents and supporting a readiness strategy on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. Our Hand and Engine Crews became available for 2025 wildland fire assignments last week.
Our thoughts are with the crews currently deployed on wildfire incidents throughout the Western U.S. and Canada, as well as all those who were impacted by the recent fatal attack on two firefighters in northern Idaho.
July 2 falls during the annual Week of Remembrance (June 30-July 6), when wildland firefighters review the lessons of fatality fires. Within that somber context, the national day is an important opportunity to appreciate those that continue to risk so much in the line of duty. #WildlandFirefighterDay