USU Wildland Fire Club Explores Fire Management in Greater Yellowstone Area

Utah State University's Wildland Fire Club traveled to the Greater Yellowstone area in September to learn about wildland fire policy, ecology, and interagency management. The trip gave students the chance to meet with professionals, including fire management officers from Grand Teton National Park and Bridger-Teton National Forest, and the fuels specialist from Yellowstone National Park. It offered the chance to see firsthand how each agency manages wildland fire and fuels across diverse landscapes, according to club leadership.

Yellowstone’s current focus is largely influenced by the park’s forest composition according to Keith Krause, fuels specialist at the park. The area is about 80 percent forested, with roughly 80 percent of that lodgepole pine, a species that has a natural fire regime characterized by long fire return intervals of high severity fire. Nearly one-third of the park area has burned since 1988, leading managers to determine the landscape is a healthy balance of burned and unburned land. As a result, the park does not currently use prescribed fire on the landscape, though wildland fire will need to return in the future, they said.

In contrast, Grand Teton National Park takes a different approach. Prescribed fire is used more frequently, particularly in the sagebrush ecosystems where fires maintain healthy plant communities. The fire management officer there explained how carefully planned burns reduce the risk of large, high-intensity wildfires and support wildlife by promoting new growth and providing forage. He also noted that fire helps limit woody encroachment and can reduce the spread of invasive plants. The comparison between the two parks highlights how differing ecosystems and the size of the park can drive fire policy.

The Bridger-Teton National Forest offered visiting students another perspective. While details on specific strategies were limited, managers said that the forest is managed on the premise of multiple-use, sustained-yield.  Students learned about the staffing challenges in the Forest Service and other federal agencies for this fire season. David Wilkins, North Zone fire management officer, explained to the group that shortages of seasonal and permanent fire personnel often required the forest to rely on Administratively Determined Emergency Hires (emergency workers) to meet seasonal staffing needs, highlighting the ways that workforce capacity impacts management outcomes.

Despite their differences, representatives from all three agencies emphasized the importance of interagency cooperation. Fire doesn’t stop at park or forest boundaries, they said. Managers highlighted how interagency collaboration within the Greater Yellowstone Area allows them to respond more effectively to fires that cross jurisdictions. Effective collaboration is critical for managing a landscape of this size and complexity, they said.

Wildfire policies are constantly changing, shaped by recent events and lessons learned in the field, according to these experts. Officers at Grand Teton National Park explained that before the Dragon Bravo fire, he had freedom to allow naturally ignited fires to burn if certain conditions were met. After the fire destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim, management direction changed, and fires in Grand Teton were suppressed regardless of location or risk, even when facilities or high-use areas were not immediately threatened. The fuels specialist at Yellowstone similarly noted that political and public pressure since Dragon Bravo has made parks more cautious in their fire management decisions.

Students were able to observe how both Yellowstone and Grand Teton implement Firewise practices to protect structures and infrastructure from wildfire. Managers used techniques such as thinning and piling, mastication, clearing defensible space and creating buffer zones around visitor centers and other structures. When a fire approaches, these measures are designed to keep flames out of the canopy and on the ground, making it easier to suppress. This approach keeps buildings safe, and helps protect surrounding wildlands if a fire starts in or near a structure. Seeing these efforts in person helped students understand that fire management extends beyond wilderness landscapes to include the built environment and the communities that live and work within it, according to club leadership.

Career conversations added another layer of value to the trip. The seasoned professionals emphasized that the most effective fire managers combine operational fire experience with an academic foundation in fire ecology and management. Having both perspectives prepares students to understand fire behavior and ecology on the ground while also making informed management decisions. Students received practical advice on applying for federal jobs, including tips on the new two-page federal résumé format. Guidance on financial planning and retirement highlighted the long-term realities of fire careers, while encouragement to continue education and embrace lifelong learning reinforced the idea that wildland fire is a field that evolves with both science and practice.

In addition to studying aspects of fire management within the Greater Yellowstone Area, and applying knowledge learned in the classroom to real world examples, students were able to explore the parks and surrounding forests.  This included sights like the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, camping on Colter Bay and Hebgen Lake, and hiking six miles up the Cabin Creek trail in the vicinity of the 2000 Beaver Creek Fire on the Gallatin National Forest.  Students also organized themselves as squads, similar to fire crews, to prepare meals and tend the campfire, developing leadership and group skills.

Making the trip possible required careful planning by the club’s leaders and advisor, along with fundraising. As part of this effort, students contributed to some of the trip costs and helped raise additional funds through pile burning in collaboration with Alpine Forestry, which donated to the club for each student who comes out and participates in a prescribed burn. This opportunity supports the club financially and provides students with valuable hands-on experience and practical skills in fire management.

Ultimately, the trip highlighted that wildland fire management involves both people and partnerships as much as it did vegetation and flames. Each agency has its own approach, shaped by the land, resources, and history, but all share the goal of maintaining healthy ecosystems and keeping communities safe. For students, the experience provided an opportunity to observe fire management firsthand and make connections with professionals. The trip demonstrated the complex balance of strategy, science, and coordination involved in managing fire and being stewards of the land.