Sisters in Fire
Empowering fire practitioners and building the next generation—that’s the mission of Sisters in Fire.
We introduce the next generation to wildland firefighting and natural resource career opportunities. We also provide mentorship and leadership training opportunities to professionals in the Texas wildland firefighting community.
Event
Sisters in Fire is a one-day, hands-on learning experience for 8th- to 12th-graders to explore wildfire and emergency response, led by Texas’ top women wildland firefighters. Participants learn how to put out fires with engines and bulldozers, they learn leadership and communication skills, and other important parts of being a member of a wildland firefighting crew.
Since 2021, Sisters in Fire has served 153 participants from 50 Texas counties as well as Oklahoma, Louisiana, and a foreign exchange student from Denmark.
The annual one-day event has rotated through five regions of the state, including Bastrop, Abilene, Palo Pinto, Huntsville, and Corpus Christi, in an effort to reach a variety of students. However, in some cases, participants have enjoyed the program so much that they have traveled hundreds of miles to attend in different regions year after year.
“The purpose of Sisters in Fire is to introduce young women, primarily, to the idea that they can indeed have a career in natural resources, emergency response, and wildland firefighting. Seeing professionals in these positions allows students to picture themselves in that place and say ‘Oh yeah, I have a role here.”
– Kari Hines
Curriculum
During the event, participants rotate through stations focused on four aspects of wildland firefighting:
- Engines
- Containment
- Hand crew
- Fire culture
Upon arrival, participants attend a morning briefing and are assigned to one of four squads for the day’s operations. Participants compete in an interactive campfire-building challenge while learning about the fire triangle and different available fuel types.
During station rotations, participants learn fire suppression with a water relay race; learn real-life decision-making tactics through a wildfire containment scenario; and get hands-on experience with heavy firefighting equipment.
Participants learn about wildfire PPE, starting chainsaws, communicating over radios, digging handline, and identifying different types of hand tools through interactive activities and games.
Participants build their leadership, communication, and teambuilding skills at the fire culture station.
Participants also complete a practice fire-shelter deployment.
To conclude the event, the leadership cadre conducts a prescribed fire demonstration and educational talk, weather pending, highlighting the vital role of ‘good fire’ in maintaining our landscape.
When available, the event includes aviation demonstrations from Dauntless Air Fire Bosses, Texas Game Warden Helicopters, and unmanned aircraft system platforms.
“My favorite part was the amount of information I learned in such a short amount of time! It was great!”
– Participant
Cooperators
Sisters in Fire is hosted by Texas A&M Forest Service in cooperation with state, federal, and local partners. From 2021 – 2025, the Sisters in Fire Leadership Cadre has included 84 members from 13 agencies:
- Texas A&M Forest Service
- U.S. Forest Service
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
- Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- The Nature Conservancy
- Kansas Forest Service
- University of Texas LBJ Wildflower Center
- Port Corpus Christi Emergency Management
- Alice Fire Department
- Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (Austin FD, Abilene FD, College Station FD, Conroe FD, and Houston FD)