Two all-women fire crews at Yosemite and Grand Teton national parks

Funded by a grant from REI Co-op and the National Park Foundation

All women crew
Still image from the video below.

A National Park Foundation grant helped launch a pilot program working with conservation corps in California and Montana to create two women’s fire corps crews in Yosemite and Grand Teton National Parks. Much of the funding is a result of a very large donation from the REI Co-op.

The first video was filmed near the beginning of the fire season and the second checks in on the crews later. To change the resolution of the video, click on the screen-like icon at lower-right.

 


Update December 3, 2021:
A new video is available about Yosemite’s first Women’s Fire Corps Crew.

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

10 thoughts on “Two all-women fire crews at Yosemite and Grand Teton national parks”

  1. Some people get upset over the smallest things. In July 1997 I served as Sector Boss on the 1200 acre Pattee Canyon fire in what we now call the wildfire interface in a popular recreation area on the edge of Missoula. My crews consisted of one interagency hotshot crews, a two state pumper units, a rural fire unit, a dozer and lo and behold, two twenty person all women pickup crew. As I recall, they were well trained and were known as Red Star #1 and #2. While the Interagency Hot shots took care of a 5 acre spot fire, I assigned the women to dig the initial line uphill until they met a crew from the opposite flank. They understood “anchor and flank” and “mineral soil”. They got an excellent review for their efforts. We didn’t make a big deal of it then, and shouldn’t now.

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  2. Who knew that all it would take is “a very large donation from REI” to make the Park Service put together an all woman crew!?! (Makes me want to go buy a lot of socks from REI!) I don’t know if it’s the right or wrong thing to do. I kinda feel like it’s 2 steps backwards (like having an all black crew), but I understand why it has to be this way. Ironically, it was Vicki Christensen (a woman) who tried to get rid of conservation corps. But, whatever, one more week and she GONE!!!

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  3. No dog in this fight Married to former Airborne qualified Army Major Looks like Joe struck a nerve But wondering why Joe Hill a problem? He is just stating his opinion. Guess you can’t have one if it’s not the Correct one. Hey why do only men have to sign up for the draft?

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    1. Only men sign up for the draft because a “man” controls who does. US Army Veteran, a woman.

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  4. do they specifically exclude men from applying? If so, they should be disbanded as being unconstitutional. You can’t have it both ways – demand full access to firefighter jobs but then carve out a “women only” exception

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      1. and what is “the problem”? If you think it’s OK to exclude someone from a (partially) funded government job based solely on gender then you are ignoring a half century of civil rights progress

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  5. Awesome, what a long way we’ve come and congratulations to these women! Equality at last.

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