At Wildfire Academy the next generation joins a firefighting lineage

This week the Minnesota Incident Command System hosted its annual wildfire training in Grand Rapids. 

Amid the buzz of chainsaws heard across the campus of Minnesota North College Itasca, student firefighters learned the fundamentals of power saws usage practicing on precut tree-stumps.  

Amy Consoer is a fire lead for the Department of Natural Resources at the Tower area headquarters. She attended the academy to acquire new skills that would benefit her community, her fire line and her co-workers.    

“Being a person who grew up in the cities I have virtually no experience with saws, chainsaws, brush saws,” she said. “So, I thought this would be a great opportunity to learn.”

The Minnesota Wildfire Academy has been in place for more than 20 years although it paused during the pandemic. The MICCS is an interagency of state and federal partners.   

There was a lot to take in, but safety always took center stage.  

“We’re learning about face cuts and back cuts. So how to make that first primary cut into the face of the tree in the direction that you’re going to fell it,” Consoer said. “And then you come on the other side of the tree and you make a cut. And that will, hopefully, tip the tree in the direction that you want it to fall.”

About 450 students registered for the weeklong course. In years past the academy has seen upwards of 900. It combines classroom sessions and field instruction so that once training is complete firefighters can be mobilized throughout the state and across the nation. 

William Glesener is one of the event’s managers. He’s been with the Department of Natural Resources for 27 years and fought wildland fires for 28.  

“We want to make sure that both in the basic firefighter [training], the pumps with the loud noises, the high-pressure hoses, and the saws course, that when, and if, they have to use it on the fire line, they’re going to be able to do so in a safe and effective manner,” he said, “so that they don’t get themselves hurt or cause problems further down the road.”

Academy instructor Meghan Ring is also a lead wildland firefighter for the DNR based in Sandstone. Ring said she attended similar training in 2013 called the Minnesota Conservation Corps program. 

“Offering an academy like this,” she said, “where we have so many classes for firefighters from all over the state and neighboring states to come in and gain additional experience and additional knowledge to help build in the qualification system that we have here is crucial for fire suppression overall.”

Academy managers say like any large endeavor turnover is constant in this line of work. Events like this ensure a new generation of wildland firefighters is there to pick up the mantle.