Wildland Firefighter Intern

Working for Wy’east over the summer of 2025, I was called out to three different assignment or ‘rolls’, with my first starting on July 12, and my last ending September 25. The first roll was two weeks spent at the Hope Fire, the second was a weeklong at the Castle Rock Fire, and the third was three weeks spent at the Black Rock Fire and then reassigned to the Katy Creek Fire. I was part of a 20-person hand crew that stayed pretty much the same between all the rolls. The objectives of each roll varied from day to day, but all contributed to the overall goal of wildfire suppression, as well as being cautious and aware in the field to maximize the safety of the crew. These objectives were given to us as assignments by the overhead of the division we were assigned to. Most of these assignments included tasks such as brushing, mop-up, holding line, digging handlines, gridding for hotspots, felling hazardous trees, or setting up hose lays. My role as a member of the crew was to listen to directions from my supervisors so the assignments could get done well and efficiently. My role as an intern was learning from the more experienced people on the crew in order to become a more efficient, safe, and aware firefighter to contribute to the overall strength of our crew. Additionally, it was a priority during this job to gain experience with fieldwork, working well with a team, and using critical thinking to solve problems and stay safe.