Southern Humboldt Comes Together for WRD

To everyone who attended, instructed, supported, and helped make the 2026 Wildland Readiness Drill possible—thank you!!

Seeing volunteers from across our region come together to train, learn, and support one another was a powerful reminder of what makes the Southern Humboldt fire service so special. The dedication, professionalism, and teamwork displayed throughout the day reflect the commitment each of you brings to protecting our communities. This event has always been about more than annual refresher training. It’s about building relationships, sharing knowledge, and ensuring that when our communities need us most, we are ready to respond together.

This event represents years of collaboration among volunteer fire departments, regional partners and organizations that share a common goal: improving wildfire preparedness and building a more resilient region. The level of engagement, enthusiasm, and professionalism displayed by all attendees reflects the strength of the Southern Humboldt fire service and our collective commitment to protecting our communities.

Over 200 participants took part in the Wildland Readiness Drill this year, including students completing the Southern Humboldt Wildland Fire Academy, support personnel, instructors, members of CalFire HUU, the Kneeland Helitack crew aboard Copter 604, and the REACH Air Medical helicopter team.

Participants engaged in a full day of hands-on training emphasizing firefighter safety, operational decision-making, coordinated field operations, and standardized wildland firefighting practices. Training activities included progressive hoselay operations, handline construction, equipment and hardware familiarization, fire shelter deployment, and air operations.

On behalf of Briceland Volunteer Fire Department, thank you for your time, hard work, and continued commitment to firefighter safety and regional cooperation. We are grateful for every participant, instructor, partner agency, and supporter who helped make this year’s drill a success. Special thanks to the Southern Humboldt Community Park for hosting us, to CAL FIRE Humboldt-Del Norte Unit, Reach Air Medical Services, the Mattole Restoration Council and support from local representatives from the offices of Mike McGuire, County Supervisor Michelle Bushnell and the Southern Humboldt Business and Visitor’s Bureau, and for funding provided through Humboldt County Measure Z Public Safety/Essential Services, the California State Coastal Conservancy’s Wildfire Resilience Program, and Redwood Region RISE California Jobs First funding, supporting firefighter training, emergency response capacity, workforce development, and regional wildfire resilience.