The IAWF is seeking nominations for its’ Board of Directors. Nominations will be accepted through October 20th 2008. Successful candidates will begin their 3-year terms on January 1, 2009. Individuals meeting the requirements listed below may self-nominate.

REQUIREMENTS AND INFORMATION

• Must be an “individual” member of the IAWF. Student and Corporate members are not eligible.
• The IAWF Board of Directors is a working Board. We are seeking individuals who are interested in serving the membership and will contribute the time, energy and expertise to serve on committees, participate in monthly conference calls lasting up to 2 hours and generally assist in furthering the mission of the Association.
• Must have the time available for the above.
• Since most of the Board’s activities are conducted electronically, the applicants will need to be very comfortable using email, using Microsoft Word, as well as opening and filing attachments to email.
• Attending an annual face-to-face Board of Directors meeting is very helpful, but not an absolute requirement. The annual board meeting, if held, is usually held at one of our conferences and requires about 8 hours of discussion and review.

By October 20, 2008, submit an application to the chair of the nominating committee. The Board of Directors will hold their election for the expiring positions during the week of November 19.

Email: nominations@iawfonline.org

Anyone interested in applying for one of the positions or nominating someone may email and request an application.

We have a new email address at the IAWF. It is:

ExecDir

**(a_t)**

iawfonline dot org.

Of course, remove the “*( )*” around the “at”. And it is not case-sensitive.

We had to make the change because of massive amounts of spam we have been receiving at the original address. Please update your address books.

A Google search for the old address shows 1,140 places where the address is in plain view for robots that are searching for email addresses to add to spammers lists.  We ask that you please do not place this new email address on web pages, unless it is modified as we did above.

The May/June issue of Wildfire magazine focuses on Community Awareness. It will be full of valuable information for Fire Chiefs, Fire Management Staff, Duty Officers, and Line Personnel. The main article tells the story of a community that took action to mitigate their risk of catastrophic loss in the event of a wildland fire.The story is told primarily by community sparkplugs, Roger and Kathy Mitchell from Bow, Washington.Their situation is not unique.The Blue Ribbon Panel on Wildland Urban Interface Fire reports over 51,000 communities in the US alone (countless when the international picture is considered) are faced with the annual burden of wildfire season.

Look forward to this issue where a community’s on-going success story unfolds.This dedicated group of property owners has created an energy that is literally spreading like wildfire.Their success has been tremendous and the word has gotten out. Now many of the surrounding communities are seeking information and advice on how they too can reduce their risk. Since a collaborative model was used, not one Agency or Fire District has taken an unreasonable workload; the community has done the lion’s share and continues to be the leaders in their geographic area.

Anyone interested in the growing Wildland Urban Interface problem will be relieved to read that success is possible.Communities can and will take action, especially if they are supported with information, techniques and tools.Other articles support the theme of Community Awareness and provide key and timely information on Firewise Communities/USA, Teamwork and Collaboration, and the new Community Guide to Preparing and Implementing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

Keep an eye on your mailboxes, as this issue will be arriving in mid-June.Not receiving Wildfire Magazine?Become a member of IAWF!Find out how at www.iawfonline.org/membership

(originally posted April 24, 2007)

The International Association of Wildland Fire has issued a Position Paper on Climate Change. It is also on our Documents and Reports page.

(originally posted in March, 2007)

During the 2nd Fire Behavior and Fuels Conference in Destin, Florida, March 23-27, 2007, the attendees contributed to a raffle and raised $1,088 for the Wildland Firefighter Foundation (WFF). The IAWF Board of Directors voted to match this and sent a total of $2,176 to the WFF.

We also owe our thanks to the companies that contributed items to be raffled. They are:

• ESRI
• Kestrel (Nielsen-Kellerman Co.)
• Forestry Suppliers
• Madd Dog Foam Nozzles
• Speedtech Instruments
• Lab Safety Equipment

The IAWF held similar fund raising events for the WFF at 8th Wildland Fire Safety Summit in Missoula, Montana, in 2005, and also at the 1st Fire Behavior and Fuels conference in 2006 in Portland, Oregon.

The IAWF believes in the mission of the WFF, which is to “honor past, present, and future members of the wildland firefighting family”. The WFF also provides emergency support services to the families of injured and fallen firefighters. For more information about the WFF, visit their web site at Wildland Firefighter Foundation.

HOT SPRINGS, SOUTH DAKOTA, FEBRUARY 9, 2007

The International Association of Wildland Fire is pleased to announce that it has awarded two scholarships to students in Canada and Australia. These scholarships, each worth $2,500 USD, are designated for Master of Science or PhD. students studying wildland fire or wildland fire-related topics.

Sean T. Michaletz, a PhD. student at the University of Calgary in Canada, received one of the scholarships. Sean has developed models for deciduous and coniferous mortality following low intensity fires, and has also worked with crown scorch models. His PhD. research will concentrate on combining some of his individual tree models into stand and landscape level models.

Andrew Sullivan, a PhD. student at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia, received the other scholarship. Andrew has been working on the development of fire spread simulation software, was co-author of a book on grass fire behavior and management, and conducted field experiments in Australian forests. His PhD. research focuses on the role of the competitive thermokinetics of cellulose thermal decomposition and combustion in patterns of bushfire spread.

We received many excellent applications from students that are engaged in first class research. The selection panel had a difficult task selecting only two scholarship recipients. The IAWF is exploring ways to expand the scholarship program in 2008 to also include students enrolled in undergraduate wildland fire programs. We expect to make an announcement about how to apply for the next round of scholarships in the third quarter of 2007.

More information, including photos of the two individuals, can be found on our Scholarships page.

(Originally posted December 28, 2006)

The International Association of Wildland Fire issued a joint News Release about the December 19, 2006 criminal complaint against a firefighter involved with the 2001 Thirty Mile fire in Washington. It can be found on our HERE and is also on our Documents and Reports page.

(originally posted in December, 2006)

Please welcome the new members of the Board of Directors (BOD) for the International Association of Wildland Fire. The new BOD members are, effective January, 1, 2007: Dan Bailey, Falls Church, Virgina, USA; Janice Coen, Boulder, Colorado, USA; Tim Dolan, San Francisco, California, USA; Gary Morgan, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Brett Shields, Bowral, New South Wales, Australia; Bill Sommers, Great Falls, Virginia, USA; Ann Walker, Salem, Oregon, USA

In addition, we have a new slate of officers starting January 1, 2007: President: Chuck Bushey; Vice President: Paul Woodard; Secretary: Marc Titus; Treasurer: Elizabeth Reinhardt

We want to thank the BOD members whose terms will end December 31, 2006. We greatly appreciate their service and we hope they will continue to be active in the IAWF. Many thanks go out to: Tony Blanks, Howard Dupuis, Keith Harrap, Dick Mangan, Jim Tidwell, Domingos Xavier Viegas, and Don Saari.

(originally posted in 2007)

In order to better serve our members, we now have a toll-free telephone number that can be used within the U.S. and Canada: 1-888-440-IAWF (4293). We had hoped to make it usable for our members in Australia and Europe too, but apparently that is not possible.

(originally posted in 2007)

The International Journal of Wildland Fire (IJWF), the official scientific publication of the International Association of Wildland Fire, continues to improve its “Impact Factor”. The Impact Factor is a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal has been cited in a particular year or period. The calcuation for the last three years shows that the Impact Factor for the IJWF is now 1.81, which makes it fourth-ranked in a pool of 36 Forestry journals.

The IJWF has the highest Immediacy Index, which is the average number of times that an article published in a specific year is cited over the course of that same year. The success of the Journal is leading to the number of annual issues increasing from four to six in 2007. This is the result of excellent papers being submitted, as well as the great work by Editor in Chief Dr. Mike Flannigan, the associate editors, and the Editorial Advisory Committee chaired by Domingos Xavier Viegas.

(originally posted in 2007)

Philip N. Omi, in a 2005 book he wrote titled “Forest Fires: A Reference Handbook”, identifies 23 individuals who have influenced fire policy and knowledge. Of the 12 “Significant Individual Contributors” that are still alive, 7 of them are current members of the International Association of Wildland Fire.

For more information about the book, click HERE to go to our Wildland Fire Books page. The book is in the “Fire History” category.

(originally posted in March, 2006)

At the Fire Behavior and Fuels conference in Portland, Oregon March 27-30, an excellent painting of a fire scene was raffled off. The winner was Lee Smith from Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. The proceeds of the raffle was $1,100, which was matched by the IAWF. A total of $2,200 was presented to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation. The WFF has a photo and a short article about the raffle at THEIR WEB SITE. In 2005 at the Wildland Fire Safety Summit in Missoula, the IAWF matched a pass-the-hard-hat collection for the WFF.

Members of the wildland fire community can now plot their location on a map, upload a photo, and include a short message. Click on Frapper! and see where other wildland fire professionals and enthusiasts are located. It only maps your city, not your specific address, in order to protect your privacy. This is open to anyone with a significant interest in wildland fire, not just IAWF members.

Does your credit card have a picture of an air tanker? Why not? The International Association of Wildland Fire has entered into an agreement with MNBA America Bank to offer the Platinum Plus credit card, a no annual fee MasterCard. Since the IAWF receives a few cents with every transaction, using the card supports the organization and its mission, while keeping our membership costs down. The card has a picture of an air tanker, wildland firefighters, and the IAWF logo. Want to learn more? Information on the card is available in this PDF document.