They say that as you get older, time moves faster. I'm becoming a real believer in that statement — it hardly seems possible that we are already into 2006. It seems timely, therefore, to take a look back at 2005, and to talk a little about those things coming up.

Last year began with serious wildfires in South Australia's Eyre Peninsula that killed nine, injured more than 100, and caused more than AUS$27 million in damages. Across the rest of the world, wildland firefighters continued to die in the line of duty at an alarming rate, with 15 firefighters and civilians in Coimbra, Portugal, and 11 firefighters east of Madrid. In France, two air tankers crashed, killing four pilots. In the United States, firefighters continued to die from heart attacks and in burnovers and aircraft crashes.

Last year also saw a continuation of the inquiries, inquests and lawsuits relating to wildland fires. The Coronial Inquiry into the bushfires around Canberra, Australia, are ongoing, and some lawsuits are being filed against the fire agencies involved. In the United States, legal actions continued from the 2001 Thirtymile Fire that killed four firefighters and the 2003 Cramer Fire that killed two helicopter rappelers.

The IAWF went through some major changes in 2005: Our administrative support from the International Association of Fire Chiefs ended, and we contracted with Bill Gabbert to serve as our executive director. In April, we hosted the Eighth Wildland Fire Safety Summit in Missoula, Mont., with more than 300 folks in attendance. Ted Putnam, retired Forest Service equipment specialist, received our annual safety award.

So what's on the horizon for 2006? Well, the U.S. wildland fire community is seeing many retirements as key players reach the magic age and head out for other pursuits. This includes three of the five national-level fire directors at the National Interagency Fire Center, and there are numerous other retirements throughout the state and federal ranks that will be hard to fill in the upcoming fire season.

Australia and New Zealand are already into their fire seasons, and we still are fighting fires here in Oklahoma and Texas. This summer's fire season severity here and in Spain, Portugal, France, Russia, China and Canada will depend on this winter's precipitation and the long-term drought conditions in those areas.

This year promises to be an exciting and challenging one for the IAWF: We will have our Ninth Safety Summit in Pasadena, Calif., April 25-28, and will launch a new conference series, “Fire Behavior and Fuels,” in Portland, Ore., March 27-30. Both events promise to bring cutting-edge information to the wildland fire communities of the world, and we hope you'll be able to join us for one or both of them.

We're also hosting our second invitation-only fire policy summit for North American fire leaders in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9. This is an important part of IAWF's role of fostering communication at all levels of wildland fire to resolve problems and address emerging issues. If you have issues you'd like addressed, be sure to drop Gabbert a note at the e-mail address at the left.

We have several board changes this year. Leslie Anderson of the USFS Technology Center and Joe Lowe of South Dakota Wildland Fire are leaving and will be replaced by longtime IAWF member, former vice president and current Firenet coordinator Chuck Bushey, and Marc Titus with the State of Washington Department of Natural Resources. Vice President Rick Gale was re-elected for a second three-year term and I've been asked to pull another tour as your president.

The world of wildland fire isn't slowing down, and your IAWF is picking up speed — we need your help! There are numerous opportunities to become more active in your organization, and we'd love your participation. Call or send an e-mail if you'd like to become more involved.

Have a successful and, most importantly, a safe 2006, and we look forward to seeing you in Portland and/or Pasadena.

Contact the IAWF

International Assn. of Wildland Fire
P.O. Box 261
Hot Springs, S.D. 57747-0261
ph: 605-890-2348
fax: 206-600-5113
iawf@iawfonline.org

To join the IAWF, visit www.iawfonline.org

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Attn: Lisa Allegretti lisa.allegretti@penton.com