Tuesday, February 22, 2022

The Wildland Lessons Learned Center (LLC) Turns 20

National Wildland Fallen Firefighter Monument

As the foundation of the 2021 Wildland Fire Leadership Campaign, we celebrated the accomplishments and products of the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program (WFLDP) overseen by the NWCG Leadership Committee. This year we focus on the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (LLC).

The LLC will be telling their own story, but we want bring in a little more history to coincide with the bi-weekly sharing of  Learning in the Wildland Service.

Congratulations to the LLC, our valued sister organization, on their 20 years of service to the wildland fire service!

LLC Logo: They are Forever Watching Over Us


Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center logo

In 1994, we lost 14 of our brothers and sisters to Colorado’s South Canyon Fire. (A total of 34 wildland firefighters died in the line-of-duty that year.) To honor our "South Canyon 14" our LLC logo has 14 stars surrounding the central, bigger star. These 14 stars represent the "South Canyon 14"—forever watching over us. The larger, central star represents the wildland fire community. We will never forget.

Kathi Beck
Tami Bickett
Scott Blecha
Levi Brinkley
Robert Browning
Doug Dunbar
Terri Hagen
Bonnie Holtby
Rob Johnson
Jon Kelso
Don Mackey
Roger Roth
James Thrash
Richard Tyler

Our South Canyon Fire fallen

Borne Out of Tragedy

We should never forget the 1994 South Canyon Fire that killed 14 wildland firefighters. This tragedy triggered the interagency TriData Firefighter Safety Awareness Study that recommended a permanent “lessons learned” program be established for wildland firefighters: Wildland Fire Safety Awareness Study Phase III.

Consequently, in 2002 the interagency Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center was created to focus on striving to improve safe work performance and organizational learning for all wildland firefighters. 

The LLC continues to—through a variety of relevant products, services and community assistance—strive to meet these critical goals for this country’s wildland firefighters. 

Growing to Better Serve This Country’s Wildland Firefighters 

The LLC represents a core group of interagency staff members—representing decades of wildland fire experience—who are dedicated to promoting firefighter safety in all wildland fire management activities. 

Since its inception in 2002, the LLC has been growing to better serve this country’s wildland firefighters, helping promote a culture of safe and effective wildland firefighter work practices and improving wildland firefighters’ learning and training networks to further enhance their knowledge and skills. 

Besides making personal contacts at meetings, conferences, workshops, seminars, and wildfire academies throughout the United States, the LLC provides a popular website for wildland firefighters: 

 http://www.wildfirelessons.net 

This site introduces and links you to a wide array of wildland firefighter-based useful and relevant information. 


Adapted from "Highlighting the LLC Story" and the LLC website. 

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