Mental Health and Wellness Resources
Resources tailored for wildland firefighters.
Organizations
Wildland Firefighter Foundation Mental Health Program
Grassroots Wildland Firefighters Mental Health Survey and Policy Advocacy
Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network Wellbeing Resources Archive
Eric Marsh Foundation resources and crisis support
Websites
FireUp Well-being, List of specialized mental health professionals and services specifically for those in fire and forestry
Return to Our Senses, sensory awareness work and resources by Lee Klinger Lesser
Close the Gap Wellness, Counselor and former Wildland Firefighter Dani Shedden, Instagram
Federal Wildland Firefighter Health and Wellbeing Program (DOI)
Podcast episodes
Life with Fire Podcast Ep. 10 “Off-Season Struggles—Understanding Wildland Firefighter Mental Health”
The Anchor Point Podcast “Overcoming Adversity: The Journey To Mental Health And Healing With Jay Walker”
Mountain Mind Tricks Podcast ”Anne Martin: Wildland Firefighter and Mental Health Advocate”
The Hotshot Wake Up ”Mental Health in the Wildfire Environment with Dani Shedden”
Hotshot Wellness’ 2025 Wildland Fire Virtual Wellness Summit Webinars: Anne Martin: Practical Mental Health Skills and Habits (starts at 1:00:00); Virgina Avery: Women’s Challenges in Wildland Fire & Ben Strahan: Firefighter Identity and Mental Health, Dani Shedden: Holding the Line
Federal Wildland Firefighter Health and Wellbeing Program Webinar Series
Webinar recordings
Retreats & Rehabs
Eco Era Wildland Co-operative retreat
Survivors of Outdoor Adventures and Recovery retreats, peer support, workshops
First Responder Wellness treatment center
Sierra Tucson residential treatment center
Resources for Mental Health Providers
Current Research
Montrose Lab at Colorado State University does research on understanding the influence of environmental exposures such as wildfire smoke on disease risk.
Report on PFAS in Wildland Firefighter Gear, December 2024
USDA Forest Service Resilience and Personal Effectiveness Report, 2020
On the Line Podcast discusses current wildland firefighters health considerations with experts in their fields
Brent Ruby, with a PhD in exercise science, studies a variety of topics surrounding physiology, health, nutrition, and exertion, with an emphasis on wildland firefighters. See all his publications here.
Science to the Station primarily studies structural firefighters, but you can filter their publications to find research specific to wildland firefighters
The Health of Firefighters Deployed to the Fort McMurray Fire: Lessons Learnt and other publications by Nicola Cherry, PhD, whose research focuses on occupational and environmental health
Olorunfemi Adetona, PhD, studies health affects of smoke, with several studies on wildland firefighters in the Midwest
Created in partnership with Close the Gap Wellness
Check back often for new updates, and feel free to share additional resources with us.
