There are numerous angles to follow when reporting a wildland fire beyond the simple facts of the fire. Here are some ideas:

Detection. While many fires are man-made, some are naturally caused. EIIFC and its partners use a variety of methods to find fires. Some are simple, such as a toll-free cell call. Other are very complex, such as using infrared satellite imagery to find hot spots, mapping locations and fire perimeters using the Global Positioning System, or detecting potential fires with a sophisticated lightning detection system.

Logistics. Getting people and resources to a fire is no easy task. Fires can break any time, day or night, and EIIFC uses a small army of people to get equipment and fire fighters to the scene.

Planning. The Planning Section of the fire collects and evaluates the latest information on the fire, evaluates suppression strategies and shift plans, and distributes information on the fire to other sections of the Incident Command System. Sometimes this function is located at EIIFC's Dispatch Center, but sometimes it is located right at the site.

The Camp. Fire camps are often small communities within themselves. The men and women who are our fire fighters can range in age from 18 to 60+ years old, come from all different nationalities and backgrounds, and generally work 12-hour shifts. Fire camps may contain as many as 500 fire fighters, depending on the size and complexity of the fires.
Services within the camp also vary in size depending on the number of people involved. If a base camp as been established, a media representative can usually find an Information Officer to help. The Information Officer will orient you, the reporter, to what facilities and services are available, including:

Access to team members for interviews
Maps, shift plans, special interest items and general information
Contacts or coordination with local law enforcement, security personnel, or government officials
Access to telephones or other media services
First Aid or medical needs
Sanitation facilities and wash area
On a case-by-case basis, they may also help with ground or air transportation, food service, shower services, and overnight accommodations.

Fire Prevention. EIIFC has had a very active Fire Prevention program, especially in locations outside cities and towns near public lands. Many serious wildland fires are caused by the careless acts of people. The news media is especially valuable in making the public aware of potentially dangerous fire situations, the conditions that contribute to wildland fires, and what can be done to prevent fires.

Rehabilitation. Now that the fire's out, what next? There may be many reasons we would choose to rehabilitate a burned area: to reduce wind erosion, to prevent the invasion of cheat grass or noxious weeds, or to prevent damage to water quality, among others. Rehabilitation can include re-seeding an area with native or non-native vegetation, smoothing or removing berms in fire line roads, protecting stream channels and soils, or other activities. A team of specialists from the local land management agency is usually assigned after a fire to determine what rehabilitation, if any, needs to be done. Sometimes the plan is developed and implemented while the fire is still burning.

Tactics. Aircraft are one of the tools used to fight the fire, and often many different types of aircraft are used. Many are helicopters that transport small amounts of people or equipment to remote areas. Some are large tankers filled with retardant, a chemical mixture added to water and designed to slow a fire's progress. The retardant is usually a fertilizer-based mixture that's used to slow the rate of spread and cool the flames. Once the fire is out, the fertilizer in the retardant will help spur plant growth. These are just a few of the many tactics fire fighters may use.