Celebrate Warner and Learn
The Warner Creek campaign resembled a local social movement that was widely supported because it held the moral high ground righteously opposing the crimes of forest arson and lawless salvage logging. Over the course of five years there were many people engaged in countless collective actions, facing risks and making personal sacrifices, who were also crucial to its victory. As the first draft of history, journalism has understandably failed to cite those unheralded individuals who also deserve public acknowledgment of their civic heroism.
The Warner Creek campaign resembled a local social movement that was widely supported because it held the moral high ground righteously opposing the crimes of forest arson and lawless salvage logging. Over the course of five years there were many people engaged in countless collective actions, facing risks and making personal sacrifices, who were also crucial to its victory. As the first draft of history, journalism has understandably failed to cite those unheralded individuals who also deserve public acknowledgment of their civic heroism.
Six ways advocates and organizations can practice solidarity for environmental justice
Organizations like Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE) and FireGeneration Collaborative inspire us. FUSEE, an organization promoting ecological fire management, has repeatedly announced that “Fire melts ICE” and “Fire and ICE don’t mix,” opposing the detention and deportation of wildland firefighters. Alongside FireGeneration Collaborative, they have organized to support Brian “Hakiym” Simpson, a Black firefighter imprisoned as the result of defending himself during a racially motivated assault. They continue to amplify calls for Tribal sovereignty and support Indigenous cultural burning practices. This includes the impressive work of FireGeneration Collaborative, which aims to transform fire culture by centering Indigenous leadership and diverse young people.
Organizations like Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE) and FireGeneration Collaborative inspire us. FUSEE, an organization promoting ecological fire management, has repeatedly announced that “Fire melts ICE” and “Fire and ICE don’t mix,” opposing the detention and deportation of wildland firefighters. Alongside FireGeneration Collaborative, they have organized to support Brian “Hakiym” Simpson, a Black firefighter imprisoned as the result of defending himself during a racially motivated assault. They continue to amplify calls for Tribal sovereignty and support Indigenous cultural burning practices. This includes the impressive work of FireGeneration Collaborative, which aims to transform fire culture by centering Indigenous leadership and diverse young people.
Exonerating a Firefighter
“I think something that really sticks out to me as someone who’s not native to Oregon is that Oregon has a lot of reckoning to do with its very racist past and its racist present. And I think this case is a really clear opportunity for that reckoning to happen and for Kotek to stand up for what she says she stands for,” Lusk says.
“I think something that really sticks out to me as someone who’s not native to Oregon is that Oregon has a lot of reckoning to do with its very racist past and its racist present. And I think this case is a really clear opportunity for that reckoning to happen and for Kotek to stand up for what she says she stands for,” Lusk says.
Learn from the Burn
“That was kind of the take-home message from the Forest Service: Be afraid, be very afraid,” Ingalsbee says. “That’s when they first divulged that, in their minds, a burned forest is no longer good for spotted owls.” He says that since the Forest Service no longer viewed the roadless area as a habitat for the endangered spotted owl, it set its eyes on timber sales. “It’s literally at that moment the lights went on in my brain and I said, ‘No way.’”
“That was kind of the take-home message from the Forest Service: Be afraid, be very afraid,” Ingalsbee says. “That’s when they first divulged that, in their minds, a burned forest is no longer good for spotted owls.” He says that since the Forest Service no longer viewed the roadless area as a habitat for the endangered spotted owl, it set its eyes on timber sales. “It’s literally at that moment the lights went on in my brain and I said, ‘No way.’”
The old growth forest activists saved 30 years ago is still inspiring people today
The Forest Service claimed the burnt forest could no longer house spotted owls. But according to Ingalsbee, multiple owl fledglings were spotted during the first spring season following the fire. This added to the growing pressure against the Forest Service.
Overwhelmed by opposition, the Forest Service eventually organized a committee to come up with alternative solutions. Ingalsbee was one of the committee members, due to his experience with forest fire management.
Representatives from the timber industry argued in favor of logging the area, claiming that old-growth clear-cutting would be environmentally beneficial and that clear-cut areas serve as fuel breaks that reduce the severity of future wildfires.
But opposition was strong.
“‘Let’s learn from the burn’, was our slogan, and make this a research natural area,” Ingalsbee said.
The Forest Service claimed the burnt forest could no longer house spotted owls. But according to Ingalsbee, multiple owl fledglings were spotted during the first spring season following the fire. This added to the growing pressure against the Forest Service.
Overwhelmed by opposition, the Forest Service eventually organized a committee to come up with alternative solutions. Ingalsbee was one of the committee members, due to his experience with forest fire management.
Representatives from the timber industry argued in favor of logging the area, claiming that old-growth clear-cutting would be environmentally beneficial and that clear-cut areas serve as fuel breaks that reduce the severity of future wildfires.
But opposition was strong.
“‘Let’s learn from the burn’, was our slogan, and make this a research natural area,” Ingalsbee said.
Wildfire veterans fear federal tactics, extreme fires could put crews at risk
“This policy that compels crews to blindly rush out and attack all fires is just not smart and it’s very unsafe,” Ingalsbee said. “They’re throwing back to the policy of the 1930s, ignoring everything we’ve learned about fire ecology and fire behavior”
“This policy that compels crews to blindly rush out and attack all fires is just not smart and it’s very unsafe,” Ingalsbee said. “They’re throwing back to the policy of the 1930s, ignoring everything we’ve learned about fire ecology and fire behavior”
‘Like Trying to Fly a Plane While You’re Building It’
The airplane metaphor has become a common theme in conversations among wildland firefighters discussing the U.S. Wildland Fire Service (WFS). President Trump issued Executive Order 14308 mandating consolidation of federal wildfire programs, and the new agency is the product of that executive order, which seeks to combine fire programs of five different federal agencies across two Cabinet-level departments. The order set a deadline of 90 days for the agencies to complete consolidation. A year later, during a record-setting wildfire year, federal fire consolidation is far from complete.
The airplane metaphor has become a common theme in conversations among wildland firefighters discussing the U.S. Wildland Fire Service (WFS). President Trump issued Executive Order 14308 mandating consolidation of federal wildfire programs, and the new agency is the product of that executive order, which seeks to combine fire programs of five different federal agencies across two Cabinet-level departments. The order set a deadline of 90 days for the agencies to complete consolidation. A year later, during a record-setting wildfire year, federal fire consolidation is far from complete.
It's time for answers on deadly fire
“Why were they attacking that fire in the first place?” asked Timothy Ingalsbee, a former federal firefighter and cofounder of the advocacy group Firefighters United For Safety, Ethics and Ecology. “What was actually at risk? If it was a bunch of shrubs on remote mountaintops, what was the real risk that justified putting those firefighters at risk?”
“Why were they attacking that fire in the first place?” asked Timothy Ingalsbee, a former federal firefighter and cofounder of the advocacy group Firefighters United For Safety, Ethics and Ecology. “What was actually at risk? If it was a bunch of shrubs on remote mountaintops, what was the real risk that justified putting those firefighters at risk?”
Three Tims and a forest: Remembering the Warner Creek blockade, 30 years later
Ingalsbee is the cofounder and executive director of FUSEE (Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology). He and 118 wildland firefighters recently sent a letter to Congress outlining the dangers to wildland firefighters should the Roadless Rule be rescinded.
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On Aug. 24, FUSEE will host a Warner Creek 30th Anniversary Victory Celebration and fundraiser at the WOW Hall with an evening of live music with Peter Wilde and Casey Neill.
Ingalsbee is the cofounder and executive director of FUSEE (Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology). He and 118 wildland firefighters recently sent a letter to Congress outlining the dangers to wildland firefighters should the Roadless Rule be rescinded.
…
On Aug. 24, FUSEE will host a Warner Creek 30th Anniversary Victory Celebration and fundraiser at the WOW Hall with an evening of live music with Peter Wilde and Casey Neill.
New firefighters set out in Lane County amid a federal workforce restructuring
Tim Ingalsbee, executive director of the Eugene-based nonprofit Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE), and his organization have been tracking the new fire service since last year, offering policy analysis on what they view as a “deceptive downsizing” that could further strain systems both ecologically and operationally.
Ingalsbee has heard from people in the new service who told him they were transferred from their home agency within the Department of the Interior, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, into the new wildfire service earlier this year without a say in it.
Tim Ingalsbee, executive director of the Eugene-based nonprofit Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE), and his organization have been tracking the new fire service since last year, offering policy analysis on what they view as a “deceptive downsizing” that could further strain systems both ecologically and operationally.
Ingalsbee has heard from people in the new service who told him they were transferred from their home agency within the Department of the Interior, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, into the new wildfire service earlier this year without a say in it.
Safety advocates call for transparency in investigation into deaths of three wildland firefighters in Colorado
"We need to ask more questions about policy," he said. "Why were crews sent to this place, and for what purpose? What were they really protecting or defending? What is the objective there?"
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"We should rapidly respond to every ignition, but there's a difference between taking an initial action and framing it as an initial attack," Ingalsbee said. "In some cases, that initial action may be okay. This is doing good work for free, reducing some of this hazardous surface fuel air."
"We need to ask more questions about policy," he said. "Why were crews sent to this place, and for what purpose? What were they really protecting or defending? What is the objective there?"
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"We should rapidly respond to every ignition, but there's a difference between taking an initial action and framing it as an initial attack," Ingalsbee said. "In some cases, that initial action may be okay. This is doing good work for free, reducing some of this hazardous surface fuel air."
The Deadly Cost of Misguided Federal Wildfire Policy
But among the tributes and reminders of how wildland firefighters put their lives on the line to protect communities was the question from Timothy Ingalsbee, a former federal firefighter and founder of the group Firefighters United For Safety, Ethics and Ecology: “Why were they attacking that fire in the first place?”
The reason is that the Trump administration has reinstated a full suppression strategy applied to every wildfire, resurrecting an almost 100-year-old debate over how to handle wildfires — a debate that science and long-standing indigenous practices had settled by the late 1970s. Combined with the establishment of the US Wildland Fire Service, such policies could cost more lives
But among the tributes and reminders of how wildland firefighters put their lives on the line to protect communities was the question from Timothy Ingalsbee, a former federal firefighter and founder of the group Firefighters United For Safety, Ethics and Ecology: “Why were they attacking that fire in the first place?”
The reason is that the Trump administration has reinstated a full suppression strategy applied to every wildfire, resurrecting an almost 100-year-old debate over how to handle wildfires — a debate that science and long-standing indigenous practices had settled by the late 1970s. Combined with the establishment of the US Wildland Fire Service, such policies could cost more lives
Fatal Colorado wildfire thrusts Trump strategy into the spotlight
“The conditions are ripe for extreme wildfires,” said Tim Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology, in an interview before the firefighters were killed in Colorado. FUSEE represents wildland firefighters and promotes an ecological approach to fire management. “We really need a holistic fire management service that knows when and where to fight fires. … That's not where this agency is at, or seems to be headed, at the moment.”
“The conditions are ripe for extreme wildfires,” said Tim Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology, in an interview before the firefighters were killed in Colorado. FUSEE represents wildland firefighters and promotes an ecological approach to fire management. “We really need a holistic fire management service that knows when and where to fight fires. … That's not where this agency is at, or seems to be headed, at the moment.”
As blazes rage out West, federal firefighters describe a mounting strain
Zeke Lunder, a 30-year wildfire expert who specializes in mapping and wildfire science, said the loss of senior, qualified leadership can have a tangible effect on crews when they are in the field, because fire — when, where and how it burns — is often cyclical.
“History tells you the potential, the possibility of a fire. When you forget those stories we repeat those mistakes,” Lunder said. “The right question isn’t are your positions fully staffed. It’s how many people do you have who have been working over 20 years?”
Zeke Lunder, a 30-year wildfire expert who specializes in mapping and wildfire science, said the loss of senior, qualified leadership can have a tangible effect on crews when they are in the field, because fire — when, where and how it burns — is often cyclical.
“History tells you the potential, the possibility of a fire. When you forget those stories we repeat those mistakes,” Lunder said. “The right question isn’t are your positions fully staffed. It’s how many people do you have who have been working over 20 years?”
Out of control wildfires rip through Colorado after firefighters die tackling blaze
The consolidation of thousands of personnel into the fire service has sown confusion among some firefighters about who their bosses are and what their responsibilities should be, according to former government officials.
The administration's focus on "full suppression" of new fires marks a sharp reversal from a decades-long trend toward embracing flames as a tool - to burn off old vegetation and growth that acts like fuel and lessen the risk of catastrophic blazes being stoked by a warming planet.
Federal officials have not released details on the circumstances preceding the weekend deaths, including the firefighters' objective at the site where they were overrun.
The consolidation of thousands of personnel into the fire service has sown confusion among some firefighters about who their bosses are and what their responsibilities should be, according to former government officials.
The administration's focus on "full suppression" of new fires marks a sharp reversal from a decades-long trend toward embracing flames as a tool - to burn off old vegetation and growth that acts like fuel and lessen the risk of catastrophic blazes being stoked by a warming planet.
Federal officials have not released details on the circumstances preceding the weekend deaths, including the firefighters' objective at the site where they were overrun.
The tools firefighters use to protect themselves in the worst of conditions
News of three casualties in the Snyder Fire west of Grand Junction drove home that sentiment earlier this week. Three wildland firefighters who to traveled to Colorado died fighting the blaze.
So today on In The NoCo, we’re looking at the story from a different angle. We want to hear about how wildland firefighters protect themselves in the worst of circumstances.
Timothy Ingalsbee is a former wildland firefighter based in Oregon. He’s now executive director of the nonprofit Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology.
He talked with Erin O’Toole about the tools and techniques firefighters use to give themselves a fighting chance in a deadly scenario.
News of three casualties in the Snyder Fire west of Grand Junction drove home that sentiment earlier this week. Three wildland firefighters who to traveled to Colorado died fighting the blaze.
So today on In The NoCo, we’re looking at the story from a different angle. We want to hear about how wildland firefighters protect themselves in the worst of circumstances.
Timothy Ingalsbee is a former wildland firefighter based in Oregon. He’s now executive director of the nonprofit Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology.
He talked with Erin O’Toole about the tools and techniques firefighters use to give themselves a fighting chance in a deadly scenario.
Stretched resources and low morale as firefighters face an already blazing wildfire season
Wildfire season is just beginning in the West, but firefighting resources are already strained following a windstorm last week that sent flames racing through Great Basin states mired in drought.
Adding pressure, the Trump administration has told firefighting agencies to pursue a “full suppression” strategy, meaning agencies are expected to try to snuff out every wildfire by default rather than allow some to burn when communities aren’t at risk.
Wildfire season is just beginning in the West, but firefighting resources are already strained following a windstorm last week that sent flames racing through Great Basin states mired in drought.
Adding pressure, the Trump administration has told firefighting agencies to pursue a “full suppression” strategy, meaning agencies are expected to try to snuff out every wildfire by default rather than allow some to burn when communities aren’t at risk.
Trump administration seeks to stomp out all fires quickly, reviving policy that has been discredited
“The question is, why were they attacking that fire in the first place?” asked Timothy Ingalsbee, a former federal firefighter and cofounder of the advocacy group Firefighters United For Safety, Ethics and Ecology. “What was actually at risk? If it was a bunch of shrubs on remote mountaintops, what was the real risk that justified putting those firefighters at risk?”
“The question is, why were they attacking that fire in the first place?” asked Timothy Ingalsbee, a former federal firefighter and cofounder of the advocacy group Firefighters United For Safety, Ethics and Ecology. “What was actually at risk? If it was a bunch of shrubs on remote mountaintops, what was the real risk that justified putting those firefighters at risk?”
After a challenging 2025, LGBTQ wildland firefighters push for a more inclusive workplace
Kyle Trefny, a wildland firefighter and co-founder of the FireGeneration Collaborative, said the challenges faced by queer firefighters like himself are also at play.
“If the fire workforce is anti-queer, it will be unattractive to many young people,” he said, pointing to data showing that more than one-fifth of Gen Z folks now consider themselves LGBTQ. “We grew up much more able to be ourselves than the generations before us.”
Kyle Trefny, a wildland firefighter and co-founder of the FireGeneration Collaborative, said the challenges faced by queer firefighters like himself are also at play.
“If the fire workforce is anti-queer, it will be unattractive to many young people,” he said, pointing to data showing that more than one-fifth of Gen Z folks now consider themselves LGBTQ. “We grew up much more able to be ourselves than the generations before us.
Three Wildland Firefighters Killed in Colorado Blaze
“Climate change is producing these fast fires that just can overwhelm conventional suppression strategies and tactics,” said Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, an education and advocacy group. He said he didn’t know enough about the details of the Snyder Fire to comment on the conditions there, “but that’s a general statement that spans the continent.”
“Climate change is producing these fast fires that just can overwhelm conventional suppression strategies and tactics,” said Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, an education and advocacy group. He said he didn’t know enough about the details of the Snyder Fire to comment on the conditions there, “but that’s a general statement that spans the continent.”