Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

Christina Anabel talks with Dr. Jennifer Symonds about rhabdomyolysis. They cover what rhabdo is, risk factors, symptoms, treatment, and what folks in the wildland fire community can do to reduce their risk.

 

Links

NWCG Risk Management Committee Safety Bulletin: 26-001—Rhabdomyolysis in Wildland Firefighters: https://fs-prod-nwcg.s3.us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2026-05/rmc-sb-26-001.pdf?VersionId=x6C4MP_7emFc.6W5jlCya7um75f6RzlG

Idaho Panhandle National Forest Rhabdomolysis RLS: https://lessons.wildfire.gov/incident/idaho-panhandle-national-forest-rhabdomyolysis-2026

Arizona Engine Work Capacity Test Rhabdo RLS

Flat Top Mountain Fire Rhabdo RLS: https://lessons.wildfire.gov/incident/flat-top-mountain-fire-rhabdo-case-2017

IHC PT Rhabdo RLS: https://lessons.wildfire.gov/incident/ihc-pt-rhabdo-case-2017

National Technology and Development Program: https://www.fs.usda.gov/t-d/

Rhabdomyolysis: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Treatment flyer— https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/safety/wct

Erik Apland, Travis Dotson, and Travis Touchette discuss stories and insights collected by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center in 2025. This episode focuses on the specific takeaways highlighted by events in the field over the past year.

Crew Captain Ben McLane describes what values-based leadership in the wildland fire service can look like in 2025. Listen in for some tangible tips on leading in a way that produces high-quality performance and maximizes well-being.
 
This discussion is a follow-up to Ben's blog post: https://wildfirelessons.wpcomstaging.com/2025/05/20/humble-accountability/

Structure Protection Specialist Hunter Bell III discusses his unusual career trajectory into wildland fire, and shares lessons on structure protection principles and the use of sprinklers to effectively protect structures without causing water damage.

This discussion is a follow-up to Hunter’s blog post: https://wildfirelessons.wpcomstaging.com/2025/06/02/structures-get-flooded-can-we-rethink-our-tactics/

Download Hunter’s Structure Protection Handy-Dandy: Structure Protection Tactics Guide | Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

Sprinklers for Wildland Fire Structure Protection Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QloMXNhsBA0

Erik Apland and Travis Dotson explore “outliers” in wildland fire – unusual incidents that highlight less-discussed hazards and how we prepare ourselves to respond to events we don’t expect.

 

To read more about each of the incidents mentioned, follow the links below:

Three Creeks Fire Electrical Shock: https://lessons.wildfire.gov/incident/three-creeks-fire-electrical-shock-2025

Oregon Mop Up Electrical Shock: https://lessons.wildfire.gov/incident/oregon-mop-up-electric-shock-2025

Ninetyeight Fire Boating Accident: https://lessons.wildfire.gov/incident/ninetyeight-fire-boating-accident-2025

Controller Bay Airboat Incident: https://lessons.wildfire.gov/incident/controller-bay-airboat-incident-2025

Aggie Creek Fire Spike Camp Hit by Tree: https://lessons.wildfire.gov/incident/aggie-creek-fire-spike-camp-hit-by-tree-2025

Trees Falling on Tents Blog Post: https://wildfirelessons.wpcomstaging.com/2025/08/26/trees-falling-on-tents/