The 2025 Annual Incident Review Summary is out. This product, based on over 130 operational incidents collected by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (LLC), summarizes incidents, highlights lessons, and puts 2025 in the context of previous years. These 10 pages are filled with information, links, and exercises. In the 2025 Annual Incident Review Summary, … Continue reading 2025 Incident Review Summary
2025 Year End Infographic: Lessons
The 2025 Year End Infographic is out, summarizing themes and lessons from the incidents the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (LLC) received in 2025. Since January 20, 2026, this blog has featured different parts of the Infographic, providing additional context and links to many of the incidents that serve as its foundation. This last post will look … Continue reading 2025 Year End Infographic: Lessons
2025 Year End Infographic: Incident Numbers
The 2025 Year End Infographic is out, summarizing themes and lessons from the incidents the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (LLC) received in 2025. Over the next two weeks this blog will focus on different parts of the Infographic, providing additional context and links to many of the incidents that serve as its foundation. Today's post will … Continue reading 2025 Year End Infographic: Incident Numbers
2025 Year End Infographic: Wildland Fire Fatalities
The 2025 Year End Infographic is out, summarizing themes and lessons from the incidents the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (LLC) received in 2025. Over the next two weeks this blog will focus on different parts of the Infographic, providing additional context and links to many of the incidents that serve as its foundation. The first post … Continue reading 2025 Year End Infographic: Wildland Fire Fatalities
A Field Guide for Mental and Emotional Safety
By Todd Legler Forest Risk and Safety Manager Shoshone National Forest The work that we do is difficult and at times can be very dangerous. It is not if a critical event will occur. It is when will it occur? I remember my first job in wildland fire. I was a seasonal Water Tender Operator. … Continue reading A Field Guide for Mental and Emotional Safety
Firsthand Insights from a Forest Training Officer
[This is the "One of Our Own" feature from Volume 14 Issue 4 of Two More Chains.] What problems have you seen with our Task Book system? What makes a good/bad trainee assignment? What should or shouldn’t Red Card committees do to meet the intent of their existence? As you will see, these significant topics—and … Continue reading Firsthand Insights from a Forest Training Officer
Task Book Tyranny
By Travis Dotson Analyst Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center [This is Travis’s “Ground Truths” column from Two More Chains Volume 14 Issue 4.] I set out to write a standard piece pointing out a few ways we abuse the Task Book system to maintain the existing power structure. I figured I could both praise and … Continue reading Task Book Tyranny
Shop Talk
[This is the "Shop Talk" section from Two More Chains Vol. 14 Issue 4. ] Next Gen Task Books Aren’t Just About the Task Book Anyone who’s been in wildland fire long enough to advance in qualifications knows those boxes in the Task Book—individual tasks for the trainer to initial when you complete them. Here’s … Continue reading Shop Talk
Is Your Task Book Process Serving You?
[This is the cover story that appeared in Volume 14 Issue 4 of Two More Chains.] By Christina Anabel, Operations Managerand Erik Apland, Field Operations SpecialistWildland Fire Lessons Learned Center “Each culture has rituals and tests that one is required to get through before becoming a full member or a leader of that culture. In … Continue reading Is Your Task Book Process Serving You?
UTV Add-Ons
This post highlights concerns regarding UTV's with mounted water tanks. We provide lessons from events involving such UTVs.