Program to bring more women into wildland firefighting kicks off in Cibola National Forest

Women make up less than 15% of wildland fire employees, but an annual training in New Mexico is trying to bring more women firefighters into the Forest Service ranks.

A four-day Women in Wildland Fire Camp will kick off Friday in the Cibola National Forest. Attendees will get hands-on training to become seasonal wildland firefighters as well as online training in advance of the field days. After completing the program, participants can become certified firefighters.

The long-running program has several camps in the Southwest, including in the Carson and Santa Fe national forests and Arizona’s Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino and Tonto national forests. The program has been around for over a decade, according to Brad Tausan, a district fire management officer for the Sandia Ranger District.

“For participants, the intentional inclusion of women signals a safe space to learn and be among peers, encouraging people to explore a career in wildland fire management and natural resources that may be underrepresented in the workforce,” Tausan said.

In 2021, Stephanie Vela went through a Women in Wildland Fire Camp in Arizona, which kick started her career as a wildland firefighter. Months before her time at the camp, Vela was preparing to get in physical shape for the training with running and “rucking,” running with a weight pack.

Vela is a fan of nature and challenges, so firefighting was a good fit.

“It’s one of the most challenging jobs physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually,” Vela said. “I get to push myself past what I think I’m capable of on almost a daily basis. I’m constantly learning more and more about who I am and what I can accomplish. It’s opened a new world of thinking, ‘all right, what’s the next challenge?’ And I think there’s something extremely powerful about that.”

In January, Vela was training to work on a helicopter crew. She’s part of an apprenticeship program with the Forest Service and was doing a detail with the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri. Her regular duty base is in Sisters, Oregon.

“Wildland fire gives me the opportunity to grow in and outside the job,” Vela said. “It also gives me a huge sense of fulfillment. I get to give back to not only the different communities we serve but also as a mentor to first-years, helping women specifically get into fire, and contributing to the overall well-being of our national forest lands.”