The Wildland Firefighter Foundation is working to place statues to recognize the nation's wildland firefighters at locations throughout the United States.

On May 2, Idaho became the first state to dedicate the 8-foot bronze statue at Boise Airport. The statue is created from the same mold used for one of the statues at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise.

According to Melissa Schwagerl, office manager of the WFF, California and Nevada are in a friendly competition to become the second state to erect a statue at airports in Sacramento and Reno.

Airports with heavy wildland fire air traffic have been the jumping-off point for the campaign, but the statues can be placed in any appropriate place to honor wildland firefighters, Schwagerl said. The WFF hopes to have a statue dedicated in Washington, D.C.

The price of each statue is about $30,000. The National Wildland Suppression Association, a group of private contractors, supported the statue dedicated at Boise Airport.

To suggest appropriate locations for the statues or to support ongoing state efforts to erect them, contact the WFF at 208-336-2996 or visit www.wffoundation.org.