1st Female Fire Observer for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service

As some of you know, I have an interest in the role of women in fighting wildfires and as well as providing support services for wildfires. I was especially interested when I came across a Facebook post by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service about Julia Cramer, the first female fire observer for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service in 1921, she was nineteen years of age and served in the Batso Fire Tower in what is now the Wharton State Forest in the New Jersey Pinelands. I applaud Julia for her service and for being one of early women working for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.  

About Women in Wildland Firefighting

It has been awhile since I have written about women in wildland firefighting, for a review of what I have written see these tagged posts, most recent is first. I was intrigued by a Facebook Post by the Bureau of Land Management in Oregon and Washington that I saw recently on the Bureau of Land Management Fire's Facebook page. I enjoyed this brief but good post where they shared about two female wildland firefighters. 

I care a lot about wildland firefighters and have a special place in my heart for female firefighters and want the best for the female wildland firefighters. I understand, as pointed out in this March 2024 article, Women in Fire: Blazing Through Barriers by Danielle Knight, Southern Region (US Forest Service) Office of Communication, that women in wildland firefighting face have faced gender discrimination among other issues. Knight says that "currently, the fire workforce in the Forest Service is about 87% male and 13% female. Often, women face being the only female in a unit, or being one of the few." 

I do know that there is at least one special wildland fire training program for women out of the US Forest Service, see this January 2024 article by Julianne Nikirk (Colville Ntl Forest) where Nikirk discusses the competition to get into the program, a little about the training program, and the goal to get a more inclusive wildland firefighting force.

There is nothing in my experience that directly compares to what female firefighters go through. I want all women wildland firefighters to know that I care about what you do and the sacrifices you make in time away from your family and loved ones. 

Mary Barr: first female pilot flying for the US Forest Fire Service

In my wonderings around the internet over the years, I suspect that I had heard of Mary Barr, the first woman who flew for the US Forest Fire Service (USFS). I admit that it was an oversight that I did not make a note about Mary Barr to write about her in my blog. Perhaps there was a reason why this happened as just today I was on social media and noticed that in August of 2022, Mary's daughters -- Molly and Nevada -- were on National Public Radio's Story Corps. Mary, who died in 2010, flew as a contract pilot for the USFS before flying as a lead plane pilot full time in 1974, she also flew smokejumpers for a short time. She was one of the first four women to fly in the Reno Air Races. Wikipedia has a short bio on Mary Barr that may be found here.

Story Corp did provide an embed code and I hoped to be able to embed the actual interview here for easy listening. Unfortunately, the embed code does not work. That happens sometimes. However you can listed to the four minute Story Corp interview at this direct link to the Story Corp interview where Mary and Nevada talk about their Mother, Mary Barr.

I would have enjoyed knowing Mary. I have much respect and appreciation for women like Mary Barr who helped pave the way for other women in aviation. 

International Women 's Day: women in wildland firefighting

Tomorrow, March 8, is International Women's Day. I always try to honor all women who are involved in any aspect of wildland firefighting. But March 8th is special so I offer these two stories of women in wildland firefighting. These three represent just a few of the many women working in wildland firefighting to keep us safe from wildfires.

The first is from the Bureau of Land Management

The second is from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection focusing on Ms. Ashley House, Section Warden for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.

The third and final story is from Coulson Aviation who flies air tankers and helicopters in support of wildland firefighters on the ground. Coulson has contracts in the United States, Chile, and Australia, and perhaps other places that I am not thinking of.

2022 wildfire season: Coulson Aviation in Chile with Dawn Blumberg

Coulson Aviation works in Chile over their summer, our winter in the United States. At this time of year, I am always interested in fire season in the southern hemisphere. I also try to keep a look out for female pilots in fire aviation. Coulson has video that addresses both points, a C-130 tanker working in Chile and one of her pilots, Dawn Blumberg. It is a very short video, just under a minute. I post it here to support Dawn Blumberg and all women in fire aviation. I wish Coulson's C-130, 132CG, and her crew and support staff a safe fire season in Chile. Dawn has been flying C-130's since 2007 with over 3,500 hours and has been fighting fires in the C-130 for four years.

Direct link to video by Coulson Aviation on YouTube

Challenges faced by female wildland firefighters from ABC News

I wrote last week that I wanted to give more time to women who are on wildland firefighting crews. Here is a video report from ABC News reporting on why some women want to be wildland firefighters and some of the challenges that female wildland firefighters face. 

Direct link to YouTube video from ABC News

About female wildland firefighters in North Carolina

I wrote last Friday a post in remembrance of the Peshtigo Fire  promising more articles this week. This is a work in progress, as I got into reading about this fire last week, I realized that while this fire may not get the attention it deserves, there more information out there than I originally realized. I got off to a slow start today and I did spend some time researching more information about the Peshtigo Fire. I hope to get back writing about the 1871 Peshtigo Fire later this week or early next week, I promise. 

In the meantime, I do enjoy reading and I read a variety of books including but not limited to either books written by wildland firefighters or novels about wildland firefighting. I would love to find a book written by a female wildland firefigter. So far, I have not found such a book, which does not mean that one does not exist. It just means that I have not found one. I have written some, and perhaps not enough articles on women in wildland firefighting, mostly relying on videos, these posts may be found here. I know that Bill Gabbert of Wildfire Today writes about women in wildland firefighting, you may his articles tagged women here. I know that the New Jersey Forest Fire Service has some women on their wildland firefighting crews.

Thanks to the NJFFS Section B10, I found a short video from Fox8 WGHP out of North Carolina about a couple of North Carolina women, Dakota Paris  and Katie Stovall, who are wildland firefighters in North Carolina. As soon as I saw this video, I knew that I wanted to share it with you. 

Direct Link to video on Youtube from WGHP

Wish Desiree Horton the best after filing a gender discrimination lawsuit

 I know enough to know that even with the strides made for women in aviation, that female pilots in commercial aviation, the military, news helicopters, wildland firefighting, etc. are still outnumbered by men. I am glad for the strides made by women in recent years. While I have come to accept, albeit sadly, that I will never be a licensed pilot and unable to pilot a general aviation aircraft, I am supportive of women and girls in aviation.

I was fairly early in writing this blog on aerial wildland firefighting when a friend told me about Desiree Horton who at that time was flying a helicopter for one of the TV News stations in Los Angeles. I learned a few years later that she flew a helicopter for CAL FIRE and most recently for the Orange County Fire Authority. I understand that she has flown helicopters for over thirty years, While I do not know nor have I every corresponded with Desiree, I have always had a great deal of respect for her. I do not think that she is or was the only women who flew as a pilot or co-pilot of aircraft used to fight wildfires. By saying that her name has always stayed with me means no disrespect for any women who may currently be flying as a pilot or co-pilot in the wildland firefighting business. 

About 10 days ago, I read in Bill Gabbert’s Fire Aviation site that Desiree had been fired from the Orange County Fire Authority before her probationary period was up and she has filed a discrimination lawsuit. I have also seen this reported elsewhere on various southern California media, see for example this report from ABC7 in Los Angeles, California. 

Desiree, I am here, not to report on your gender discrimination lawsuit, I will let others that I have already mentioned in the preceding paragraph do that. Desiree, I am here to offer you my heartfelt support in her lawsuit. I hope that the outcome, whatever that may be, is what you want and is fair. I have heard you say in media clips that you want your job back, I hope that you get your wish. In the meantime, I wish you the best, Desiree, as you pursue other endeavors, hopefully this includes doing what you love, flying helicopters. 

New Jersey Forest Fire Service: First All Female Wildand Fire Crew

The first New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) Wildland Fire Crew conducted a prescribed burn in Camp Jefferson, Morris County New Jersey last Friday, November 20th (see my November 23rd article for a listing of prescribed burns conducted by the NJFFS. I am very proud of these eight female NJFFS Wildland Firefighters. Way to go ladies! 

Women in wildland firefighting: Smokejumping

I have made some posts recently where I have shared some videos on smokejumping as well as offering some videos and my own reflections on the DC-3's long service as a jumpship. I think it only appropriate to share this short 2018 video on Smokejumper Naomi Mills. Enjoy.

Edited on March 29, 2021. The video that I posted here is no longer available. I am sorry, that happens sometimes.

All female wildland firefighting crews

I am always on the lookout for footage of all female wildland firefighting crews. I am in luck because within the last 7 to 10 days I came across two short videos of all female wildland fire crews deployed to wildfires. I then dug through my archive of saved bookmarks where I found two more videos. Women have been a part of mixed gender crews for years and they have already proven that they have what it takes.

Enjoy these four short videos

Thank-you for all you do to keep us safe. Stay safe.

Women in wildland firefighting

direct link to video

BLM Wyoming all women's crew

direct link to video

Deployed to Alaska earlier this year.

direct link to video

Colorado's first all female crew

direct link to video