Article

Fire resource advisors support western parks in 2024

Crater Lake National Park, North Cascades National Park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

A woman in full wildland fire personal protective equipmtent holds a tablet while standing next to a tree with flagging around it. — A resource advisor on the Pioneer Fire flags a tree for protection.
NPS

During the 2024 fire season, wildfires impacted several National Park Service (NPS) units throughout the Pacific West Region including North Cascades National Park Complex, Crater Lake National Park and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

Two people in firefighting gear stand amongst large boulders near a dark opening in front of them. — READs document a cave entrance on the Coffee Pot Fire at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
NPS

These wildfires threatened sensitive natural and cultural resources in each park, but a new generation of NPS wildland fire Resource Advisors (READs) was trained and ready to help protect these special values. READs are operational personnel assigned to wildland fire incidents and tasked with informing fire managers and firefighters on measures to effectively safeguard sensitive resources and designated areas from impacts resulting from the fire and fire suppression operations. They advise on a wide range of values including archaeological sites, rare plants, endangered species, Tribal assets, wilderness areas, and measures to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species. Participation in wildland fire resource advising has surged across agencies in recent years, with NPS employees from various fields expressing eagerness to apply their profession skills to protect core values inherent to the NPS mission.

A person in wildland firefighting personal protective equipment (PPE) stands on a ladder putting foil on a structure while another holds the ladder below. — Resource advisors put protective wrap on a shelter on Flick Creek at North Cascades National Park.
NPS

In spring 2024, the NPS presented an online training for READs, certifying an interagency class of 706 students. Later in the year, the Pacific West Region Office of Fire and Aviation Management was recognized for this achievement by receiving the Federal Government Distance Learning Association (FGDLA) Innovation Award. Since 2020, over 2,600 students from federal, state, Tribal, and local agencies have completed the NPS’s READ training program and many of these graduates have since responded to wildfires and all-hazard incidents nationwide as READs.

The NPS Wildland Fire READ Course (N-9042) will be offered again via the Wildland Fire Learning Portal in spring 2025.