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RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR)

RT-130 Decorative banner. Group of wildland firefighters hiking down a valley to a fire. Black topo map and WFSTAR logo on left.

Smoke, Roads, and Safety

Smoke, Roads and Safety; Best practices for predicting and managing smoke over roadways.
Category: Hazards
Core Component(s):
Incident Reviews and Lessons Learned, Fire and Aviation Operational Safety
Estimated Delivery Time: 30 minutes
Video Length: 13:03
RT-300, Burn Boss Refresher

Remote Video

Intent

Identify the hazards associated with smoke impacts to roads that impact both the public and fire personnel. Examine procedures to decrease the impacts of smoke, and provide mitigation and response information to implement a Roadway Response Plan (RRP). Identify helpful tools that are available for predicting, accessing, and monitoring the risk.

Facilitator Preparation

  • Review the video and module tools.
  • Consider additional activities and discussion questions relevant to location and agency.
  • Review and share the Roadway Response Plan located under Resources.

Facilitating the Discussion

  • Show the video.
  • Consider whether one large group discussion or multiple smaller group discussions will best engage the participants.
  • Facilitate the group discussion using the selected questions. Give the participants a chance to comment and reflect on each other’s answers.

Discussion Questions

Inform the participants:

This module focuses on the hazards associated with smoke on roads and will provide information on how to address the potential impacts. It will provide mitigation and response information and identify some helpful tools that are available to assess and monitor the risks associated with smoke on roads.

  1. How often have you encountered smoke on the road when driving to and from prescribed fires or wildfires? Do you consider the potential hazards to other fire personnel and the public?
  2. What are the five weather conditions that can worsen smoke impacts to roadways?
  3. What is the purpose of a Roadway Response Plan (RRP)? Have you responded to smoke impacting a roadway?
  4. Does your home unit utilize RRPs? Has your home unit had incidents of smoke impacting roadways? Has your unit pre-identified roadway areas that are susceptible to being impacted by smoke?
  5. How can RRPs be used in wildland fire planning and response?
  6. What are some of the tools shared in the video you can utilize at your home unit to predict the likelihood of smoke impacting roadways?

Resources

Video Information

  • This video is also available as a download (zip file, size 885 MB) with .srt file for closed captioning (you may need to right click and Save As). For information on how to add closed captioning to a video, see this how-to page.
  • Note: For Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, right click the word download and select Save Link As; for Internet Explorer (IE), right click and select Save Target As.

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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)