The forest just north of Foster Lake came alive Friday, June 26, as 200 wildland firefighters completed their final day of training for the 2026 Mid-Willamette Valley Interagency Wildland Fire School.
Hosted annually by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), this five-day academy brought together approximately 200 firefighters to prepare for Oregon’s 2026 wildfire season. For the recruits, it marked the completion of five days of training designed to prepare them for the realities of Oregon’s wildfire season. For ODF, the exercise reflected the agency’s broader mission of building a well-trained wildfire suppression force capable of protecting lives, communities, and more than 16 million acres of forestland while prioritizing firefighter safety.
“The live fire exercise provides a valuable training experience working in smoke, hiking through uneven terrain, and working closely with crew members to dig fireline,” said Craig Pettinger, incident commander for the Mid-Willamette Valley Interagency Fire School and ODF’s Sweet Home Unit forester, in an ODF release sent on June 22. “These are all things they’ll experience this season as wildland firefighters,”
Throughout the exercise, rookie recruits had the opportunity to work alongside experienced wildland firefighters as they put their week of training into practice. According to the ODF press release, “firefighter safety remained the foundation of the exercise, with instructors emphasizing the proper use of protective equipment, the safe operation of tools, and maintaining awareness of potential hazards.”
However, for former Sweet Home High School forestry teacher and now wildland firefighter Zech Brown, the live exercise he feels is about providing wildland firefighters with a foundation they can build upon throughout their careers.
“The goals for today are just to help them improve their skills or learn these skills so they can be successful in their careers,” said Brown, who resigned after four years at the high school to join ODF. “Whether it’s one season, or 20, 30, or even 40 years, today’s exercise is about building the foundation so they can help save Oregon.”
For Brown, one of the greatest strengths of the annual fire school is the unique opportunity for firefighters to train alongside people they may work closely with during this fire season.
“If you go to a wildfire, you’re going to have forest service, private crews, structural, we’re going to have everyone,” he said. “Being able to work with people that you’re not familiar with, it just helps.”
Brown’s comments reflected and echoed one of the central goals emphasized by ODF.
“Safety is paramount in every aspect of wildland firefighting, and it begins with our training exercises,” Pettinger said. “Working together in a collaborative training setting improves communication and builds effective relationships for all agencies to draw upon during fire season.”
This training comes as fire officials continue to prepare for what could be another busy wildfire season.
During a media briefing held just before the live fire exercise, ODFs Santiam Unit permanent forest officer Kyle Koonce said current fuel conditions are already concerning despite recent rainfall, warning that the recent rain should not be viewed as the end of the fire season.
“Our fuel conditions are mid-July-ish right now,” Koonce said. “The rain will help moderate that a bit, but we’ve already seen fires in the Detroit area, up in the Molalla area, and across the state.”
“This is not a season-ending event by any means,” he said. “This gives us time to rehab the equipment and our firefighters, finish training, and be ready for the next one”.
He urged residents to do their part to reduce preventable wildfires and stay prepared for this wildfire season.
“We can handle the lightning that happens naturally, Koonce said. “Its the human-caused fires that we really want to tamp down and make sure those do not get out of control”.
While firefighters spent the week developing their technical skills, ODF officials also emphasized the importance of preparing them for long-term careers in the profession. Bob Arnsmeyer, Southern Oregon Area Training Coordinator for ODF, highlighted that connecting with new wildland firefighters throughout the week was one of the most rewarding parts of the academy for him personally.
“I receive a lot of questions about my career path and how I got to where I was,” he said. “It made me feel good that the young firefighters are already thinking about how they can reach that next level and be successful in their careers,”
Overall, the importance of training events such as the Mid-Willamette Valley Interagency Wildland Fire School is reflected in ODF’s Protection Division Training Policy. According to the policy, ODF protects more than 16 million acres of forestland across Oregon, and maintaining a well-trained wildfire suppression force is essential to protecting forest resources while prioritizing safety. The policy also explains that ODF provides and seeks training opportunities to ensure a high level of qualified personnel performance in wildfire suppression and management.
Brown credited his background as a former teacher with helping him mentor brand-new firefighters entering the 2026 wildfire season.
“Being able to have that teaching background has been really helpful,” he said. “Being able to talk to the kids that are just getting started in this and breaking it down to where it makes sense for them has been a really helpful skill to have.
For those considering careers in forestry or wildland firefighting, Brown strongly encourages them to remain open to learning throughout their careers.
“Keep your ears open and learn as much as you possibly can,” he said. “Learn from everybody, it does not matter if they have been on the crew for two years or 40. They all have something for you to learn.”
