Red Lake Wildland Fire Program
The Red Lake DNR fire program is one of the most active tribal fire programs in the country. The fire program is directed by the Wildland Fire Operations Specialist who is supported by twelve seasonal firefighters, two one-year term firefighters, an aviation manager, six seasonal helicopter crewmembers, two fire prevention specialists, two dispatchers, two heavy equipment operators and two fuels specialists. Additional emergency firefighters are hired during temporary, high fire danger conditions. In 2015, the reservation had 534 fires, with 1,901 acres burned. The fire crew also completed 38,289 acres of prescribed burns. Red Lake supports fire suppression efforts across the nation each summer. In 2015, Red Lake sent twenty-four firefighters to five states. Fire program operations are housed in a new (completed August 2015) facility east of the Red Lake Elementary School.
