SPOKANE, Wash. — The Department of Natural Resources has begun training seasonal firefighters in preparation for the upcoming wildfire season, with the peak of wildfire season still a few months away.
The agency triples the amount of firefighters it has on staff by bringing on over 500 seasonal firefighters to ensure they are ready to respond to wildfires.
The training includes fuel reduction work, which serves as preparation for actual fire response.
“What we’re doing behind me right now is doing a fuels reduction work, and that’s a training opportunity that should a wildfire move through, we can build a fuel break that will stop those wildfires, slow the intensity of those wildfires and make it easier to fight on the ground when fire season does arrive,” said Ryan Rodruck, wildfire communications manager for DNR.
The seasonal firefighters come from diverse backgrounds and are motivated by community service.
“Some folks are straight out of high school, straight out of college. Some have other day jobs. And they’re here training today to help serve their community, and help keep us safe from wildfires throughout the state of Washington,” Rodruck said.
The comprehensive training program covers multiple aspects of firefighting that crews will need when responding to active fires.
“In equipment work as the saws you see behind me. Hose lays. How to dig an appropriate fire line. Any activity that you could think of that we would utilize to mitigate and stop a wildfire. We trained for it well, prior to fire season,” Rodruck explained.
The training serves as preparation not just for seasonal firefighters, but for all DNR personnel as they prepare for fire season.
The crews being trained can respond to fires across a wide geographic area beyond their local jurisdiction.
“The training that these crews received today apply to fires that could happen anywhere in the Inland Northwest. Those crews could be deployed to western Washington. They could potentially be deployed, to states that are part of our northwest compact,” Rodruck said.
By more than tripling the number of firefighters and conducting thorough training now, DNR aims to ensure these firefighters are ready for what lies ahead during fire season.
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