Wildland Fire Community Resources: Organizations, Podcasts, Wellness, and Charities
There are lots of other great resources about wildland fire out there. Here are my recommendations.
Advocacy
Grassroots Wildland Firefighters
Supports the mental, physical, and financial wellbeing of Federal wildland firefighters through advocacy and legislation. Amazing group on the front lines of getting us better pay and benefits through policy reform.
They are my go to for information on what is currently in the works in Congress regarding wildland firefighter pay, classification, benefits, and current updates on the ongoing changes for all federal wildland firefighters who work for different federal agencies (US Forest Service, BLM, NPS, BIA, etc) to become one fire agency under the US National Wildland Fire Service (USWFS).
Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics & Ecology (FUSEE)
FUSEE focuses on public education and policy advocacy promoting safe, ethical, ecological wildland fire management. They envision a society where people can stop fearing and “fighting” against fire, and instead, learn how to work safely and live sustainably with fire.
Their main focuses are media outreach, policy advocacy, and public engagement.
FUSEE has an active program of media education and outreach that encourages more in-depth, critical investigative reporting on a broad range of fire-related issues beyond the conventional “war reporting” of wildfire suppression incidents.
FUSEE actively engages in advocacy work to promote scientifically sound, socially progressive fire management policies and practices, and oppose regressive policy proposals that would increase the risks, costs, or damages of fire suppression.
FUSEE conducts a variety of educational and advocacy activities of key interest to the fire management and forest conservation communities. We participate in fire science conferences, host community events, present webinars and classroom lectures, and lead fire ecology hikes, and other public events.
Podcasts
The Hotshot Wakeup
Podcast and Substack newsletter covering news about wildfires, fire tech, and wildfire policy by former hotshot overhead and crew supervisor. Love him or love to hate him, Tim Casperson is influential and really stays on top of getting info out about fire season predictions and the chaotic policy changes we are currently experiencing. Also you will see pictures of new starts on his stories that firefighters send him before you’ll know about these fires through official channels. He has an huge following.
The Palisades Fire: A Sandcastles Special
The first season from 2023 chronicles a tight knit community who stayed behind during the Woolsey Fire in Malibu, California, and their efforts to protect their community and organize aid (sometimes via surfboards) in the aftermath of the fire.
The most recent second season follows some of the same interviewees from the first season as they had formed a first-of-its-kind volunteer community fire brigade and how their group aided Los Angeles during the 2025 Palisades Fire.
The Anchor Point Podcast
Aims to build a better community by providing a platform to share the stories of wildland firefighters, highlight career opportunities, spread awareness of fire prevention, educate the public, and “bump” the message of our struggles and achievements with mental health and other challenges that we face - both off and on duty. Doesn’t seem to have a lot of new episodes coming out, but a huge back catalog of episodes dating back to 2019.
Life With Fire Podcast
A podcast exploring the critical role that fire plays in our forests, lands, and communities. Great podcast hosted by wildfire writer and former hotshot Amanda Monthei
Wildland Firefighting Health, Fitness, and Nutrition
Hotshot Wellness
Hotshot Wellness was founded in 2021 by current and former federal hotshot wildland firefighters who recognized the escalating challenges faced by wildland firefighters as fire seasons grow longer and more severe.
Insufficient federal support has contributed to rising mental health struggles, higher risks of cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, and troubling rates of suicide and suicidal ideation.
They are committed to supporting their health and well-being through health-focused advocacy, targeted education, impactful programs, and scholarships designed to provide meaningful support.
They complied interactive maps to connect you with health and wellness professionals who understand the unique challenges you face—whether they specialize in mental health, performance, nutrition, physical recovery, or have firsthand experience as wildland firefighters, first responders, or veterans.
You can also watch a full replay of their 2025 Wildland Fire Virtual Wellness Summit
Mountain Mind Mastery
Thomas Wurm, a former wildland firefighter, supports wildland firefighters with trauma-informed alternative mental health and nervous system work.
In his own words “For 14 years, I fought wildland fires and wore the silence like armor. By the end, I was carrying chronic stress, physical pain, and wounds I didn't even have names for. I was broken, running on an empty, and Mental and Emotional Release® saved my life.
The path out led me through neuroscience, ancient energy practices, and a process called Mental & Emotional Release® that did in one session what years of pushing through couldn't. It didn't just help me cope; it rewired my greater problem.”
Toughing it out isn’t strength. It’s keeping you unfit for duty.
Mountain Mind Mastery helps you break the pattern and master your mind so you can become the firefighter your crew deserves.
He offers a free 20-minute discovery call to look at your story, find what's really underneath it, and map out which path is right for you.
Wildland Fire Therapy Service
As a federal wildland firefighter or dispatcher, you have access to expanded mental health services offered through a network of licensed providers around the country with expertise in addressing the unique needs of emergency responders.
Up to 16 free therapy sessions per year are available to primary and secondary federal wildland firefighters and federal dispatchers.
This was easy for me to navigate when I signed up last year. You are matched with an in person or virtual therapist who is experienced in supporting emergency responders. I had avoided therapy for awhile because I didn’t want to spend half a session explaining my work and my therapist got it and really supported me through a tough time in my life. Highly recommend all firefighters utilize this free service.
Mountain Tactical Institute
Offers fitness training plans specifically tailored to the demands of wildland firefighting. They have pre-season programs and subscriptions for training during the season
Frontier Performance Nutrition
JJ Shelley was a former marine and wildland firefighter and current dog musher who offers individual and group fitness and sleep coaching for unique and demanding lifestyles. He has two free resources on his website to help with calorie calculating and a better sleep guide.
Wildland Fire Job Postings and Career Info
FireUp
FireUp is a career platform dedicated exclusively to fire and forestry jobs, community, and well-being misson-driven to help build a healthy, sustainable, and resilient fire and forestry workforce. Through its job board, community platform, wellness and well-being offerings, and career pathways toolkit (truly the most helpful visual guide I’ve found for wildland fire careers), it connects people to meaningful opportunities and builds clearer pathways into and within the fire and forestry field.
FireUp’s well-being platform offers targeted wellness and well-being resources designed specifically for the fire and forestry community. Through a growing calendar and archive of live sessions and self-guided on-demand offerings, the platform makes high-quality wellness support accessible.
@careersinwildlandfire
Once job announcements start coming out in late summer/ early fall this is a great resource for finding federal job postings as well as getting pay info as a current wildland firefighter
@hotshotbrewery
Craft coffee and merch brand that posts general wildfire/ firefighting info and they also post firefighter trainings and job announcements in their stories
Charities
Wildland Firefighter Foundation
The Wildland Firefighter Foundation is the original organization to provide help to the families of those wildland firefighters who have lost their lives or are injured in the line of duty. On average 10 firefighters die each year while working.
The Foundation came together as a group of volunteers in 1994, shortly after the Storm King tragedy. With dedication and lots of volunteer work, plans were developed for a national monument to honor firefighters, a dream that was realized in May 2000. The Wildland Firefighter Foundation was officially formed in the spring of 1999. Board members realized that there was a great need to have emergency support services for the families of fallen firefighters.
Active volunteers and supporters of wildland firefighters established the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, a 501(c)3 to maintain the Wildland Firefighters National Monument at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho.
Since 1999, the Foundation has also provided emergency support services to the families of firefighters, seriously injured or killed in the line of duty. Families left behind, many with young children, often find themselves with few resources, and the Foundation steps in to help.
Additionally the focus of the Wildland Firefighter Foundation Mental Health Program is to promote the mental health and overall wellbeing of wildland firefighters and to address the unique mental health challenges they face, while providing confidential and immediate care to those in need.
Well worth a visit if you are in the Boise, Idaho, area. They have a huge memorial room with pictures of all fallen firefighters and one with crew shirts going back decades. It’s a really powerful place.
Also check out their events page. It’s the best hub to find community events (most benefitting the WFF) such as races, fishing tournaments, golf scrambles, brewery fundraisers, etc as well as wildland firefighter trainings. Great way to find events, meet other wildland firefighters, AND contribute to a great cause.
Granite Mountain IHC at the Yarnell Hill Fire. Photo credit: Eric Marsh Foundation Website
Eric Marsh Foundation
Eric Marsh was the Superintendent of the Granite Mountain Hotshots who died along with 18 of his crew members on June 30, 2013, while fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire. He served 23 years in the fire service, protecting land, property and most importantly, human lives. He loved being a hotshot and loved his crew like family.
Amanda Marsh, Eric's widow, founded the Eric Marsh Foundation for Wildland Firefighters in 2014 to carry forward and honor the legacy and lives of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots.
The Eric Marsh Foundation delivers vital financial assistance, emotional support, and mental health services to those affected by line-of-duty deaths, injury, and trauma. Through their work, they ensure that no wildland firefighter or family faces hardship alone by creating a strong network of support that reflects the brotherhood and sisterhood of the fire service. They are a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization located in Prescott, Arizona.
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