Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations: The Red Book - 2025

The 2025 Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations is the essential federal reference for wildland fire and fire aviation program management across the United States.Known throughout the wildland fire community as the Red Book, this January 2025 edition brings together the standards, policy direction, organizational responsibilities, and operational guidance used by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs. It is designed for the professionals who plan, manage, support, and respond to wildland fire operations in an interagency environment.This edition provides a comprehensive reference for understanding how federal wildland fire programs are organized, how interagency coordination functions, how fire management planning is carried out, and how safety and risk management principles are applied in real-world fire and aviation operations. It addresses the policy framework behind suppression, preparedness, incident management, aviation resources, fuels management, firefighter training and qualifications, communications, equipment, dispatch, reviews, investigations, and more.Inside, readers will find guidance on:Federal wildland fire management policy and doctrineBLM, NPS, FWS, USFS, and BIA program organization and responsibilitiesFirefighter and public safety principlesRisk management and command philosophyInteragency coordination and cooperationFire management planning and preparednessIncident management and wildfire responseSuppression chemicals and delivery systemsFirefighter training, qualifications, and workforce standardsFirefighting equipment and communicationsAviation operations and aviation resourcesFuels management, prescribed fire, reviews, investigations, and dispatch systemsWhether used as a desk reference, training companion, policy guide, or field-support resource, this volume is built for readers who need direct access to the standards that shape federal wildland fire and fire aviation operations.This book is especially useful for wildland firefighters, fire management officers, agency administrators, aviation managers, dispatch and coordination personnel, incident management team members, fuels specialists, training officers, forestry and natural resource professionals, emergency management personnel, and students preparing for careers in wildfire, forestry, public lands, or fire aviation.For anyone working in or studying federal wildland fire operations, the 2025 Red Book is a foundational reference: clear, authoritative, detailed, and organized around the policies and practices that guide interagency fire management across the country. Read more