Southwestern Region

Southwestern Region
333 Broadway SE [map]
Albuquerque, NM 87102
(505) 842-3292
TTY: (505) 842-3198

Fire and Aviation

In the Southwest and across the country, fire's biological effects profoundly affect forests and grasslands. These "Fire Management" links describe prescribed fire and unwanted wildland fires. Prescribed fire is used as an important natural process in a variety of forest, brush, and prairie ecosystems. Without periodic, low-intensity fires, these ecosystems undergo rapid changes in species composition and structure that, in turn, can lead to catastrophic wildfire, or insect and disease outbreak. Unwanted, catastrophic wildfires must be fought. Aggressive fire suppression must remain an essential cornerstone of the Forest Service mission. We must maintain and strengthen our firefighting capability because of the increasing value of national forest resources and growing private development in the wildland-urban interface. Click on the following Web links to learn more about fire in the Southwest and the different faces of fire.

INTERAGENCY FIRE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT (IFPM)
In 2004, Federal firefighting agencies developed national requirements for 14 key firefighting positions. Training, education and experience requirements have been identified for each of these positions. Firefighters in these positions have until October 1, 2009, to meet these national requirements.

FIRE ECOLOGY CURRICULUM
Fire is an integral component of the forest in the Southwestern Region. This curriculum uses fire as its central theme in order to provide information and education on a vast array of forest health and ecosystem management issues. The curriculum is correlated to Arizona and New Mexico academic standards, Forest Service conservation educator learner guidelines, and Southwestern Region key messages.