535 kindergarten students at McIlvaine Early Childhood Center in Magnolia learned fire safety from Smokey Bear as part of the Delaware Forest Service's annual education program. Located in the Caesar Rodney School District, McIlvaine is the largest kindergarten program in the First State.

The Delaware Forest Service is seeking qualified and interested individuals for its upcoming series of wildfire training classes at the Delaware State Fire School. Ideal candidates should be: at least 18 years of age, physically and mentally fit, motivated to learn, and willing to travel for two weeks or more for out-of-state assignments.

The Delaware Forest Service will hold its 19th annual Fire Camp at Redden State Forest near Georgetown on Saturday, April 26 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The intensive one-day seminar provides hands-on training to volunteer wildland firefighters and, weather permitting, will feature a "live burn" exercise in which crew members battle an actual wildfire.

In response to increased wildfire activity in the western United States, the Delaware Forest Service (DFS) dispatched a crew of volunteer wildland firefighters from Blackbird State Forest in Smyrna on Saturday, July 19 that traveled to Redmond, Oregon. The team is getting in position to fight a wildfire in that region and should receive its assignment in the next 24 hours. The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho recently upped its National Fire Preparedness Level to 3 on a 5-point scale. However in the Northwest, the regional level is currently at the maximum 5 on a 5-point scale due to the incidence of 17 new fires and 24 large uncontained blazes.

High-resolution images on Delaware Forest Service’s Facebook Photo Album DOVER – The Delaware Forest Service has sent a second wildfire crew to the western United States as 41 active large fires are burning over 700,000 acres across five western states, with most concentrated in California, Oregon, and Washington, with 10 each. So far this year, […]

The Delaware Forest Service (DFS) is seeking recruits to enroll in its upcoming wildfire training classes at the Delaware State Fire School. Candidates should be at least 18 years of age, physically and mentally fit, motivated to learn, and willing and able to travel for at least two weeks or more (usually during the summer) for out-of-state fire assignments. Previous firefighting experience is not required. The deadline for course registration is January 3, 2015.

As Delawareans stock up their firewood supplies, state officials remind buyers and sellers that firewood must be sold and advertised only by cords. Under Delaware Code, firewood and stove wood must be advertised, offered for sale, and sold only by a cord measure or fractions of a cord or cubic meter. Selling firewood by truckload, rack, face cord or pile is not permitted under state law.

State authorities are alerting local businesses and purchasers of tropical nursery stock of the recent detection of fire ants in a shipment of palm trees imported from Florida. The red imported fire ants were detected during a routine check at a Sussex County business by the Delaware Department of Agriculture's Plant Industries nursery inspection team. They were eradicated and do not pose a threat.

The Delaware Forest Service has dispatched a 20-person wildfire crew to help fight a wave of lightning-caused wildfires around Hayfork, California in the area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. California has declared a state of emergency and the Northern California Region is now at a maximum Preparedness Level of 5 on a 5-point scale. Delaware's team is part of almost 1,500 personnel on the Fork Complex Fire, a group of blazes totaling more than 25,000 acres near Hayfork, CA that is only 5 percent contained.

A team of 20 wildland firefighters under the direction of the Delaware Forest Service is working with 1,165 personnel currently battling the Fork Complex, a group of lightning-caused fires near Hayfork, California that totals 11,862 acres but is only 7 percent contained. Kyle Hoyd, the Delaware Forest Service's assistant forestry administrator, summarized the crew's effort: "We did a burnout with two engine teams on the Peak Fire off of a dozer line and put hand line around several structures in the same area." Earlier in the week, Hoyd reported that "everyone is doing well" but the "fire is in steep terrain with multiple hazards."

A wildfire crew led by the Delaware Forest Service is near completion of a two-week assignment on the Fork Complex Fire, a 28,736-acre blaze near Hayfork, California in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Almost 2,400 personnel are battling the fire that is currently 26 percent contained. The Fork Complex is one of several large wildfires in Northern California that together cover more than 223,000 acres, one of the major factors that prompted the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) to increase its National Preparedness Level today to the maximum of 5 on a 5-point scale.

To honor October as “Fire Prevention Month,” Smokey Bear will visit Delaware schools to teach children that “only you can prevent wildfires.” Nationwide fire data continue to show that human activity causes the largest number of forest fires, which is why Smokey teaches children at a very early age that they should never play with fire or use matches. Last year, the Delaware Forest Service provided 104 fire education programs to 9,410 students - a record number of school programs for the agency.

The Delaware Forest Service (DFS) is seeking trainees for its annual wildfire training classes at the Delaware State Fire School. No previous experience needed. Applicants should be over 18 years old, physically fit, motivated, and willing to travel for at least two weeks (usually during the summer) on out-of-state fire assignments. Interested candidates should contact Kyle Hoyd, DFS Wildland Fire Program Administrator at (302) 698-4548 or kyle.hoyd@state.de.us to register. The deadline to sign up is February 17, 2016.

The Delaware Forest Service’s 21st Annual Fire Camp will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at Redden State Forest from 6:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. The intensive, one-day seminar is the capstone of the agency's wildfire training program to certify its emergency firefighters to meet National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards. In addition to completing an arduous "work capacity test" - which involves carrying a 45-pound pack over a three-mile course in less than 45 minutes - crew members will receive hands-on instruction in several key areas: wildfire suppression techniques, how weather affects fire behavior, crew mobilization and teamwork, water pump and chainsaw usage, and culminating with a “live” controlled burn fire situation.

The Delaware Forest Service (DFS) has awarded $22,000 in grants to eight volunteer fire companies to purchase equipment to fight wildfires and improve their wildfire readiness and capabilities. In the past 10 years, the DFS has provided 122 grants totaling more than $288,000 to volunteer fire companies through its Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant Program, funded by the U.S. Forest Service.

The Delaware Forest Service is sending a 20-person team of wildland firefighters to the Rocky Mountain region for a scheduled two-week assignment to battle wildfires for the National Interagency Fire Center. The crew departed Blackbird State Forest this morning and is headed to Denver, Colorado to be “pre-positioned” for a specific assignment.

Delaware’s wildland fire crew is returning to the First State after successfully battling wildfires in Colorado and Wyoming. The Delaware Forest Service dispatched the firefighters to Colorado on July 25. Their first assignment was assisting Colorado’s Bureau of Land Management on the 492-acre Milk Fire near Craig, Colorado. Next, they were sent by the Rocky Mountain Geographic Area Coordination Center to the 1,287-acre Tokewanna Fire near Mountain View, Wyoming. Finally, on August 4, they were dispatched to the 12,276-acre Whit Fire, located east of Yellowstone National Park near Cody, Wyoming.

Delaware is sending its second wildfire crew of the summer to the Great Basin region. Responding to a spike in wildfire activity in the West that has increased the National Fire Preparedness Level to 4 on a 5-point scale, Delaware has joined forces with neighboring Mid-Atlantic states (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio) to dispatch five crews, a total of 100 firefighters, to battle fires in the Great Basin. The crews departed Harrisburg, PA for Salt Lake City on August 25. Delaware is now assigned to the Henry's Creek Fire near Idaho Falls, Idaho.

After two weeks of battling wildfires in the rugged terrain of Idaho, a Delaware wildfire crew is returning to Blackbird State Forest on September 11 at approximately 8 a.m. The team was dispatched by the Delaware Forest Service on August 25 at a time when the National Fire Preparedness Level was 4 on a 5-point scale. Over the past 14 days, the team battled the 52,972-acre Henry’s Creek Fire near Idaho Falls and the 1260-acre Grape Creek Fire, located 6 miles southwest of Elba, Idaho.

The Delaware Forest Service (DFS) is offering up to $4,500 in grants to help fire companies in the First State improve their readiness and ability to fight wildfires. The deadline is May 1 and the form is available on-line. Funded by the U.S. Forest Service, the Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) program has provided more than 120 grants worth almost $300,000 to Delaware volunteer fire companies over the past 10 years. All grants require a 50-50 cost-share match and priority will be given to applicants that have not received funding in the past three years.

Red imported fire ants were detected during a routine check at a Sussex County business by the Delaware Department of Agriculture's Plant Industries nursery inspection team. A Hold and Control Order was promptly issued, and a treatment program to eliminate the fire ants is underway. "Buyers of tropical nursery stock - such as palm trees - should carefully inspect their plants for small, aggressive red stinging ants," said Stephen Hauss, Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey Coordinator for the Department of Agriculture. "We need these to be reported quickly and promptly to keep them from spreading or staying in Delaware over the winter."

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Friday released the following statement commending Delaware Forest Service’s wildfire crew prior to the mobilization of the 20-person team that will battle wildfires in the Rocky Mountain region. “Delaware’s wildfire crew is a group of well-trained volunteers and public servants who will leave the safety and comfort of […]

A wildfire crew from the Delaware Forest Service is now working on the 300-acre Wilson Fire, located 9 miles north of Meeker, Colorado in Rio Blanco County. Started by lightning on July 7, the blaze is currently 15 percent contained and is threatening oil and gas production equipment. Delaware’s crew is comprised of 17 firefighters from Delaware and three from West Virginia. The crew flew from Harrisburg, PA on Sunday to the Rocky Mountain region along with teams from Maryland, New Hampshire, and two crews from Pennsylvania.

Governor John C. Carney, Jr. and Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Delaware Forest Service and honored the wildfire crew that just returned from two weeks battling blazes in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. The crew, which left the First State on July 8 and returned on July 23, first tackled the 700-acre Wilson Fire near Meeker, Colorado – started by lightning on July 7. The firefighters then moved on to the Grizzly Fire before finishing up on the Dragon Fire – located just south of Rangely, Colorado. Delaware’s team included 17 state and federal firefighters from Delaware and three from West Virginia. "The Forest Service has done unbelievable work over 90 years," Governor Carney told the audience. "As we celebrate 98 years of the Delaware State Fair, we've got a lot of other milestones that are happening, including the recognition of Delaware's state forestry service for 90 years of operation and their tremendous work."

The Delaware Forest Service is seeking new recruits for its upcoming wildfire training classes at the Delaware State Fire School (1461 Chestnut Grove Road, Dover, DE 19904). No previous experience is needed. Candidates should be over 18, physically fit, motivated to learn, and willing to travel for at least two weeks (usually during the summer) for out-of-state fire assignments. This year’s training will take place over two separate weekend sessions: The first is on October 21 and 22 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day (lunch included). The second is on November 4 and 5 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day (lunch included). The cost for each session is $50. Register by October 16 by contacting the State Fire School at (302) 739-4773 or email: fire.school@state.de.us.

DOVER – The Delaware Supreme Court, by decision dated Dec. 7, 2017 in the matter of Bridgeville Rifle & Pistol Club, LTD, overturned a Superior Court ruling and ended a ban on visitors’ possessing firearms in Delaware’s state parks and state forests. Pursuant to the ruling, visitors may now possess firearms unless they are prohibited by law due to a past conviction for a violent crime, active Protection from Abuse Order, or mental health commitment. Following the Court’s decision to invalidate the existing regulations limiting firearms in state parks and forests, and some Division of Fish & Wildlife properties, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) anticipate issuing interim firearm regulations. The interim regulations would respect the State Constitutional provisions on firearms cited by the Court, by implementing the State’s interest in ensuring the safety of the public in a less restrictive manner.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Department of Agriculture have proposed new regulations expanding the scope of legal possession of firearms within Delaware’s state parks, state wildlife areas and state forests.

DNREC and Department of Agriculture will conduct a joint public hearing Monday, March 12 on proposed regulations for possessing firearms in Delaware’s state parks and wildlife areas and state forests.

More than $20,000 in grants is now available to help volunteer fire companies fight wildfires in their communities. The Delaware Forest Service's Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants are designed to help fire companies purchase the specialized equipment needed to meet the unpredictable threat of wildfires in fields, forests, open spaces, and marshes. Applicants can request up to $4500 per year. Funds can be used to acquire items such as ¾-inch to 1-½ inch forestry hose, safety gear, brush unit pumps/skids, and hand tools. All grants require a 50-50 cost-share match in cash or in-kind services and priority will be given to applicants that have not received funding in the past three years. Last year, seven volunteer fire companies received $23,020 through the VFA grant program to purchase wildfire suppression equipment.

The Delaware Forest Service is sending a 20-person wildfire crew to Colorado's Rocky Mountain region as more uncontained large fires in the West has increased the demand for trained firefighters. The National Fire Preparedness Level was increased to 3 on a 5-point scale on June 29, indicating that wildfire activity is occurring in multiple geographic areas and mobilization of resources through national agencies is moderate to heavy.  The crew mobilized on Tuesday, July 3 at Blackbird State Forest in Smyrna, Delaware and will travel to Denver from Philadelphia on July 4 for positioning in the Rocky Mountain Geographic Area, which has reported 5 new fires and currently has 6 uncontained large fires. Nationally, 66 fires are currently burning a total of 578,424 acres. As of July 3, a total of 277 wildfire crews  are currently deployed across all regions of the U.S. and wildfire activity is expected to increase.

The Delaware Forest Service is sending a crew of 20 wildland firefighters to the Northern Rockies to help battle wildfires in the West as the National Fire Preparedness Level is now at the maximum of 5 on a 5-point scale. The team is flying from Harrisburg to Missoula, Montana (MSO) on Sunday, August 5. Delaware also sent a crew to the Rocky Mountains on July 3.

Twenty wildland firefighters from Delaware are battling the Copper Mountain Fire, a 180-acre blaze located four miles east of Eastport, Idaho on the Canadian border that is 20% contained as of August 12. Delaware's crew comprises part of  the 137 personnel currently assigned to the incident.  Michael A. Valenti of Dover, Delaware's state forester and crew boss for the team, reports that firefighters are working in rough terrain and completing very long hikes to and from the fire each day. 

Delaware's wildfire crew returns to the First State this week after wrapping up a successful two-week assignment fighting blazes in northern Idaho's Panhandle National Forests.  The crew is scheduled to be back at Blackbird State Forest on Thursday, August 23, at approximately 6:15 p.m. The Delaware Forest Service dispatched the team of 20 wildland firefighters to Montana on August 4 and the crew was immediately sent to northern Idaho to fight the Copper Mountain Fire, situated on the Canadian border. This past week, the crew battled the Cougar Fire, a 5,880-acre blaze burning in steep rugged terrain located approximately 5 miles east of Hope, Idaho.

DOVER, Del. – The Delaware Forest Service is looking to increase its wildfire crews for the upcoming season through training for new recruits. During the 2018 wildfire season, Delaware sent two full crews out to Colorado, Idaho, and Montana to be first responders. Interested recruits should be over 18 years old, physically fit, motivated, and […]

The Delaware Forest Service will host its "23rd Annual Fire Camp" event at Blackbird State Forest (502 Blackbird Forest Road, Smyrna DE 19977) on Saturday, March 30 from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The intensive one-day seminar is the capstone of the agency’s wildfire training program to certify its emergency firefighters to meet National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards. State forest visitors should be advised that trail closures and other restrictions will be in effect for the event.

Media: Images of fire ants can be found at the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. DOVER, Del. – The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) is alerting local businesses and purchasers of tropical nursery stock of the recent detection of fire ants in a shipment of palm trees imported from Florida. The red imported […]

The Delaware Forest Service is looking for motivated recruits to enroll in wildfire training classes starting in February at the Delaware Department of Agriculture, 2320 S. DuPont Highway, Camden, DE. There is no cost for training and no previous experience needed. Candidates must be over 18 years of age, willing to learn, physically fit, and able to travel for at least two weeks at a time, usually in the summer months. Attendance at all classes is required for prospective wildland firefighters to achieve “red card” certification from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). Students can register by filling out the online registration form by January 31, 2020. Complete details are at http://de.gov/wildfire.

DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY: Delaware Council on Police Training

Delaware volunteer fire departments that respond to rural wildfires can apply for matching grants up to $4,500 from the Delaware Forest Service's 2020 Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) Equipment Grant Program. Since its inception, the program has provided more than $350,000 to enhance wildfire response in the First State. The application deadline is Wednesday, May 13, with awardees notified by June 1. All requests must show a 50-50 match in either cash or in-kind services, such as volunteer hours spent on training or responding to field fires. Projects and purchases must be completed by August 1, 2020. For more information, contact Kyle Hoyd at (302) 698-4548 or Kyle.Hoyd@delaware.gov

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