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Week of Remembrance

2025 WOR: Twisp River Entrapment – August 19, 2015

Letter to Leadership |  Day 1  |  Day 2  |  Day 3  |  Day 4  |  Day 5  |  Day 6  |  Day 7  

 

Incident Summary:

On August 19, 2015, USDA Forest Service firefighters Richard Wheeler, Andrew Zajac, and Tom Zbyszewski perished while engaged in initial attack on the Twisp River Fire. A fourth member of the crew was critically injured with severe burns. In addition, a Heavy Equipment Boss, a Heavy Equipment Boss Trainee from the Washington Department of Natural Resources, and a contract Dozer Operator were entrapped but survived with minor injuries. Numerous other fire personnel were also entrapped but survived without injuries.
 


The Twisp River Fire was reported on August 19 at 1223 Pacific Daylight Time. The fire started when tree branches struck a nearby powerline. By 0600 hours on August 20, it was reported to be 7,231 acres and had reached the outskirts of Twisp, Washington. The fire’s final reported acreage on August 26 was 11,922 acres.

Key Points:

  • The Unified Command Incident Commanders (ICs) on the Twisp River Fire had to build their team as they went, which resulted in multiple people being asked to temporarily serve in leadership roles during an extremely complex event. We do not always have the depth in qualifications to create the needed organization without using leadership from responding units. When leaders from crews are used to staff the incident management organization, there is a direct impact on the capacity of the crews.
  • The captain of the entrapped engine was tasked with providing supervisory expertise elsewhere on the rapidly emerging fire. This resulted in a less experienced firefighter operating the engine during emergency egress operations.
  • Perceptions of safety may be influenced by experiences where aggressive tactics have been successful. Each tactical success influences a field operator’s sense of accident probability.

Discussion:

  • We often face competing needs, especially when staffing an emerging fire. Crews get asked to provide leadership staffing for the incident. Consider perspectives from an IC trying to build an organization AND the individual crews being asked to provide staffing. What specifics need to be addressed on both sides of this decision process?
  • How do people with these different perspectives best compare and reconcile information to make sound decisions? How and when are these decisions best made?
  • Does your crew have a “draw down” limit? Does capacity to “loan out” positions change based on fire conditions/complexity?
  • When operational tempo is high, who is looking at the big picture? What traits can you build into your organization to continually process big picture information and act on it quickly?
     
Category
Week of Remembrance
References
Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, Twisp River Entrapments and Fatalities

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NWCG Latest Announcements

NEW! S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (Blended) Available Now

Date: Aug 15, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Fire Behavior Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that the S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (Blended) training is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal. S-290 (Blended) training combines online training and instructor-led training components that support individuals working towards any Single Resource Boss or Fire Effects Monitor incident qualifications.

This second course in the series collectively serves to develop fire behavior prediction knowledge and skills, and provides more detailed information on fuels, weather, and topography that affect wildland fire behavior for safety purposes.

Students are required to finish the prerequisite S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior, before enrolling in S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (Blended).

References:

S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (Blended)

S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

NEW! S-271, Helicopter Crewmember (Blended) Now Available

Date: Aug 14, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Interagency Helicopter Operations Subcommittee

The S-271, Helicopter Crewmember (Blended) is now available. Developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort, this training supports individuals working towards Helicopter Crewmember (HECM) incident qualifications. 

S-271, Helicopter Crewmember (Blended) training combines online training and instructor-led training components. This course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the duties of the HECM position, as described in the NWCG Incident Position Standards for Helicopter Crewmember, PMS 350-22.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2026.

References:

S-271, Helicopter Crewmember (Blended)

NWCG Helicopter Crewmember (HECM) Position Page

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for FBAN and LTAN

Date: Aug 13, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Fire Behavior Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for Fire Behavior Analyst (FBAN) and Long Term Fire Analyst (LTAN).

The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2026.

References:

NWCG Fire Behavior Analyst Position Page

NWCG Long Term Fire Analyst Page

ETC/RMC Safety Bulletin: 25-001 New Guidance on Laundering Wildland Fire Clothing to Reduce Contamination

Date: Aug 8, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee
 Risk Management Committee

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) and the Risk Management Committee (RMC) have issued Safety Bulletin 25-001: Laundering to Decontaminate Wildland Fire Clothing. Recent research revealed that wildland fire flame-resistant pants and shirts can be contaminated with chemicals from combustion byproducts, including carcinogens, and that common laundering practices can effectively remove these harmful contaminants from wildland firefighter clothing more effectively than previously understood. It is recommended to decontaminate wildland fire clothing as frequently as possible. 

Frequently Asked Questions about this new information and how to implement recommendations can be found on the NWCG Alerts page. Read the complete ETC/RMC Safety Bulletin: 25-001 to learn more. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Safety Bulletin: 25-001

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Laundering to Decontaminate Wildland Fire Clothing

Equipment Technology Committee

Risk Management Committee