National Interagency Prescribed Fire Training Center

What is the Prescribed Fire Training Center?

The Prescribed Fire Training Center (PFTC) is a unique program blending maximum field prescribed burning experience with a flexible curriculum of classroom instruction on topics of interest to prescribed fire practitioners. Participants will have the opportunity to complete portions of their National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) approved prescribed fire task books under the guidance of invited training specialists.

The staff at the National Interagency Prescribed Fire Training Center is made up of, and supported by the following interagency partners:

PFTC Staff
Title Name Agency Work # Cell #
Director Jim Durrwachter FWS 850.523.8633 850.766.1254
Fire Operations Specialist Miranda Stuart NPS 850.523.8637 850.728.8200
Fire Training Specialist Greg Seamon TNC 850.523.8631 850.556.8613
Admin. Specialist Carolyn Detwiler FS 850.523.8634 850.766.1693
Administrative Assistant Lillian Dyck FS 850.523.8635 850.766.1692

The following agencies make up the PFTC Interagency Partnership:

  • The USDA Forest Service
  • USDI Fish and Wildlife Service
  • USDI Bureau of Land Management
  • USDI National Park Service
  • USDI Bureau of Indian Affairs
  • Florida Division of Forestry
  • The Nature Conservancy

The Prescribed Fire Training Center is sanctioned by the NWCG (National Wildfire Coordinating Group).

FY2009 Annual Report Executive Summary
The Prescribed Fire Training Center marked another successful year in 2009 with the continuation of the Center’s distinguished experiential learning sessions as well as an Administrators Workshop and NWCG courses.  The Center accommodated 105 participants from five federal agencies, local governments, non-governmental agencies and foreign countries during the sessions and workshops.  Participants came from 27 states and 4 foreign countries.  For the second year in a row, TNC sponsored, and PFTC trained a Spanish-language module with participants from Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

The Center worked with 9 different cooperating agencies/organizations with 49 different units.  This year saw the addition of a new cooperator, the Georgia Forestry Commission. This new relationship produced immediate training opportunities for participants and great advantages for the host in the additional treated acres with experienced crews. During the sessions and the workshops, the PFTC, with their cooperative host units, applied prescribed fire to 78,192 acres (80% federal), 38,631 acres of wildland-urban interface (49% of the total treated acreage, 80% federal).  The most common task books addressed during the sessions included RXB2, RXB3, FIRB, ENGB, and FEMO, with a total of 419 assignments.  1,982 tasks were accomplished with 33 individuals recommended for certification back to their home units.

All participants received instruction in fire behavior, firing techniques and high reliability organizing.  The Center entered into a new cooperative agreement with the University of Florida and offered 3 upper division credits through the College of Forest Resources and Conservation.  14 individuals took advantage of this opportunity and completed the work required to receive these credits.

PDF of FY2009 Annual Report (5 mg)



The National Interagency Prescribed Fire Center is wholly responsible for the content of this site. We gratefully acknowledge the Fish and Wildlife Service for hosting our site.

Last Updated: June 26, 2009 | Contact: Fire Management Web Team