FLAGSTAFF — For the first time, fire managers from nine agencies and partners are gathering in northern Arizona to learn about and train in prescribed fire through a formal training exchange (TREX). Hosted by the Flagstaff Fire Department and Summit Fire and Medical District and sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Fire Learning Network, this Prescribed Fire Training Exchange is a unique opportunity for fire personnel from across the county to learn about prescribed fire, land management, the wildland urban interface, smoke management, and much more.
“This Prescribed Fire Training Exchange is designed to provide experiential training that builds local capacity for fire management while offering professional fire practitioners a more holistic perspective” said Neil Chapman, Wildland Forest Health Supervisor with the Flagstaff Fire Department.
The TREX strategy does what no one else is doing: it provides a cooperative burning model that services the needs of diverse entities, including municipal fire departments and districts, federal and state agencies, private landowners, contractors, tribes, academics, and international partners — while incorporating local values and issues to build the right kinds of capacity in the right places.
The TREX event will take place from Monday October 25 – Sunday, November 7, 2021. Attendees include representatives from fire departments and districts in Arizona, South Dakota, Colorado and Nevada, as well as the United States Forest Service, the National Park Service and the Nature Conservancy.
Prescribed fire plans for the greater Flagstaff area TREX include Observatory Mesa, Rogers Lake, the US Naval Observatory and private lands within Coconino County. TREX fire managers will coordinate with neighboring national forests, national parks, fire departments, and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to monitor smoke impacts. For more information on smoke and air quality please visit www.azdeq.gov/WildfireForecast or www.wildlandfire.az.gov.
For any related questions, please contact Neil Chapman, Wildland Forest Health Supervisor, at 928-213-2512 or Neil.Chapman@flagstaffaz.gov.