RENO, Nev. (KOLO) -The Bureau of Land Management wildland firefighters started the second year of the Fire Science Career and Technical Education program at the Academy of Arts, Careers & Technology high school in Reno.
The program combines curriculum-based classroom lessons with hands-on, skills-based training, preparing students with foundational knowledge and practical skills essential to wildland firefighting, the BLM said in a statement on Friday.
The first program last year taught 16 students grades 10 to 12. There were 47 90-minuteclasses.
Due to high demand, the classes this year were increased to 141 classes and 46 students It was also expanded to grade 9. Students graduating spring 2026 will be eligible for BLM wildland fire crew positions at age 18.
Classroom curriculum includes wildland fire behavior and incident management. Outside the classroom, students practice initial attack procedures using the same field equipment as wildland firefighters, like hand tools used to cut fire lines in rugged terrain.
“As the threat of wildfire increases every year, so does the increased demand for trained wildland firefighters,” Brock Uhlig, BLM Nevada state fire management officer said in a statement from the BLM. “Our goal is to ignite a passion in students for protecting Nevada communities and public lands through wildland fire management.”
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