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NFDRS PocketCards

The National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS) PocketCard is a tool for field personnel to locally track fire potential throughout the season. It is based on historical weather and fire occurrence for a localized area. The PocketCard displays a general assessment of the fire potential and identifies combinations of local weather and fuel conditions that might contribute to severe fire behavior.

The PocketCard provides:

  • A general indicator of the potential fire danger for a given rating or protection area.
  • A graph showing the trend and status of the current year’s fire season.
  • A comparison of current year conditions to historical worst and average conditions.
  • Fire danger values related to past large or problem fires.
  • Critical local thresholds for temperature, humidity, wind speed, and fuel moistures associated with large or notable fires.

Discuss the following ways to use the PocketCard:

  • Use it primarily before fires occur or before arriving at a fire. It is also useful during initial fire size-up, initial attack, and extended attack.
  • Use it to learn critical local area thresholds that predict the potential for extreme fire behavior. Be aware that these critical thresholds can occur earlier or later in the season.
  • Use it to compare current and predicted local fire danger to historical local fire danger for enhanced situation awareness.
  • Use it to track daily fire danger indices that gauge the potential for weather and fuels to support extreme fire behavior, as well as affect the difficulty of control.
  • Use it to supplement local experience.
  • Use it as a point of reference for firefighters not familiar with the area represented by the card.
  • When you receive a fire assignment outside your local area, visit the National PocketCard website, where PocketCards are filed by geographic area.
  • Put it in the pocket of all your firefighters and keep one in each fire vehicle.
  • Post it in dispatch. Use them in briefings. Provide them to incoming crews.
  • Do not use the PocketCard for site-specific fire behavior predictions, fireline actions, or without an interpretive briefing.
  • Review definitions and implications of Energy Release Component (ERC) and Burning Index (BI) values.

References:

Category
Weather - Fire Behavior

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NWCG Latest Announcements

LMC Equipment Bulletin 26-001: Aquatic Invasive Species – Seasonal Reminder for Mussels

Date:  July 30, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Equipment and Technology Subcommittee

The Logistics and Equipment Management Committee (LMC) issued Equipment Bulletin 26-001: Aquatic Invasive Species - Seasonal Reminder for Mussels, reminding the wildland fire community that aquatic mussels continue to be a problem. Mussels rapidly colonize hard and soft surfaces, including aquatic plants and fire equipment, clogging pipes, fouling motors, disrupting water systems, and impacting native species.

To help prevent their spread, fire personnel must follow the decontamination procedures outlined in the NWCG Guide to Preventing Aquatic Invasive Species Transport by Wildland Fire Operations, PMS 444. Additionally, report any sightings immediately to your Lead Resource Advisor and include clear, close-up photos (with a pen or your hand for size reference) and location details.”

Read the complete LMC Equipment Bulletin 26-001, to learn more. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

LMC Equipment Bulletin 26-001: Aquatic Invasive Species - Seasonal Reminder for Mussels

NWCG Guide to Preventing Aquatic Invasive Species Transport by Wildland Fire Operations, PMS 444

Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Task Book Update

Date:  July 24, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Tree Felling Subcommittee

NWCG Operations Management Committee (OMC) has issued an update to the NWCG Position Task Book for Intermediate Faller (FAL2), PMS 311-91. To ensure clarity for both trainees and evaluators, the updated FAL2 Position Task Book (PTB) explicitly states who is authorized to sign off on your tasks:

“Evaluators must be qualified as a FAL2, or an Advanced Faller (FAL1).”

If you are currently working out of a previously published version of the FAL2 PTB, you do not need to restart. However, OMC highly encourages you to take the following step to prevent any confusion in the field:

  • Print and replace the updated evaluator information page (page 2) in your current physical PTB.

References:

Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Page

RMC Memo 26-01: Transition Plan for Implementing Updates to Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Qualifications

NWCG Position Task Book for Intermediate Faller (FAL2), PMS 311-91

Equipment Advisory 26-001: Potential Front Driveline Joint Failure on 2018 and Earlier Ram Pickups

Date:  July 10, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Equipment and Technology Subcommittee

The Logistics/Equipment Management Committee (LMC) has released Equipment Advisory 26-001: Potential Front Driveline Joint Failure on 2018 and Earlier Ram Pickups. This advisory highlights multiple U.S. Forest Service regions reporting front driveline joint failure incidents.

This advisory recommends firefighters and fire managers to: 

  • Follow all Ram-issued inspection, maintenance, and service guidance for front driveline joints. 
  • Consider installing a driveline loop. 
  • Coordinate with fleet managers and service providers to determine the most appropriate driveline loop kit for each pickup.

For further details, please refer to the complete advisory.

References:

Equipment Advisory 26-001: Potential Front Driveline Joint Failure on 2018 and Earlier Ram Pickups

Technical Service Bulletin: 03-002-21

NEW! NWCG Standard Operating Procedures, PMS 900

Date:  July 9, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: NWCG Staff

NWCG is excited to announce the publication of the NWCG Standard Operating Procedures, PMS 900.

The new publication establishes general, consistent, and uniform standards for conducting business with the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.

References:

NWCG Standard Operating Procedures, PMS 900