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PMS 437

Fuel Moisture: Vegetative Greenness

Wildland Fire Assessment System (WFAS) AVARR NDVI Greenness Reference is the comprehensive source of images, data archives, and methods for handling.

These images, derived from a satellite sensor, have been produced weekly since 1989, producing a historical record of vegetation phenology that can be used to characterize current vegetation greenness. They can be used to cross-reference with drought assessments and other characterizations of plant development, moisture stress, and curing. Cloud cover can have a significant impact on image quality in portions of the image.

While not an estimate of live fuel moisture, spatial distribution of NDVI estimates and its climatological derivatives can provide important insight to past and current vegetative state and overall landscape flammability during the growing season.

There are several depictions that allow you to evaluate the current NDVI status:

  • Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (ND) is the current derived value from which all the other climatological depictions are derived.
  • Departure from Average Greenness (DA) portrays the absolute difference between current value and the historic average greenness for the corresponding week of the year based on all years 1989-last year.
  • Relative Greenness (RG) portrays how green the vegetation is compared to how green it has been over the historical reference period (1989-last year). Because each pixel is normalized to its own historical range, all areas (dry to wet) can appear fully green at some time during the growing season.
  • Visual Greenness (VG) portrays vegetation greenness compared to a very green reference such as an alfalfa field or a golf course. The resulting image is like what you would expect to see from the air. Normally dry areas will never show as green as normally wetter areas.

This image of Departure from Average Greenness is for September 12, 2011

Departure from Average Vegetative Greenness. Example graphic from the Wildland Fire Assessment System for September 12th of 2011.

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NWCG Latest Announcements

RMC Memorandum 26-02: SAFENET Modernization and SafeNetX Launch

Date:  June 25, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Risk Management Committee

The Risk Management Committee (RMC) is pleased to announce the launch of SafeNetX, the modernized safety reporting system now available to the wildland fire community. Effective June 15, 2026, SafeNetX enables reporting of unsafe, unhealthy, near-miss, and high-risk operations across wildland fire, all-hazard incidents, training, and related work environments.

SafeNetX is the result of a multi-agency modernization effort led by RMC, which began evaluating improvements to the legacy SAFENET system in 2021. To learn more, read the full RMC memorandum in the links provided.

References:

SafeNetX

RMC Safety Memorandum 26-02: SAFENET Modernization and SafeNet X Launch

2025 Wildland Fire EMS Awards

Date:  June 12, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Emergency Medical Committee

The NWCG Emergency Medical Committee (EMC) announces the recipients of the 2025 Wildland Fire Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Awards. EMC annually recognizes individuals and groups who have demonstrated outstanding actions or accomplishments that are above and beyond the expectation of one’s normal mission or job duties.

Congratulations to all the awardees and nominees. Through leadership and initiative, they have made significant contributions to the safety of the wildland fire community. These awards are well deserved.

References:

2025 Wildland Fire EMS Awards

Emergency Medical Committee

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Book Now Available for RAMP

Date:  June 12, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Airtanker Base Operations Unit

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Book are now available for Ramp Manager (RAMP).

The Performance Support Package for this position was developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization 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 release in January 2027.

References:

NWCG Ramp Manager Position Page

National Interagency Aviation Committee

Make an Impact: Serve the Wildland Fire Community as an IPTM SME!

Date:  June 11, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: NWCG SME Specialist

Note: Positions with an * will last approximately 6 months.
Positions with ** will last 12 - 18 months.

NWCG is seeking experienced wildland firefighters and support personnel to serve as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) initiative. IPTM aims to transition NWCG’s training and qualification system to a performance-based model by updating position descriptions, Incident Position Standards, Next Generation Position Task Books (Next Gen PTBs), and training where needed.

NWCG is currently recruiting SMEs for the Fall 2026 positions listed below:

  • Equipment Manager (EQPM)*
  • Fixed Wing Parking Tender (FWPT)**
  • Mixmaster (MXMS)*
  • Public Information Officer Complex (PIOC)*
  • Retardant Crewmember (RTCM)*
  • Strike Team Leader Crew (STCR)*
  • Strike Team Leader Engine (STEN)*
  • Strike Team Leader Heavy Equipment (STEQ)*
  • Task Force Leader (TFLD)**
  • Wildland Fire Investigator (INVF)** 

Projects begin October 2026. Sign up by July 10, 2026, at the link below and review the attached document for additional details. 

References:

NWCG SME Interest Sign-up

IPTM Subject Matter Expert Duties and Expectations Document

Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM)