2025 Wildland Fire Safety Award
Ends on
The IAWF Wildland Fire Safety Award is given to an individual in the international wildland fire community who has made a significant contribution to wildland firefighter safety, either directly on the fireline; or indirectly through management, cultural changes, or through wildland fire research. Their contribution is frequently beyond their normal everyday job expectations - sometimes at the potential risk to their own career, and their example can encourage others to act in a similar manner.
To nominate, please complete the form below, and compose a letter (no more than 800 words) explaining how the nominee embodies the award’s purpose, and a list of three or more individuals (with contact information) who confirm the nominee's contributions.
When submitting your nomination, please assume we don’t know the nominee, include specifics about why they are deserving in your nomination letter.
If you are writing an award nomination, and would like a little help, members of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity (DEI) Committee are willing to help. Perhaps English is not your first language or you can’t quite find the right words to express your thoughts, just reach out and we would be happy to help. EMail
The Award was inaugurated in 1997 at the IAWF's first Wildland Fire Safety Summit® held in Rossland, British Columbia. Over the years it has been awarded to sixteen individuals.
- 2024 - Ben Strahan (USA)
- 2022 - Scott Jones (USA)
- 2021 - Bret Butler (USA)
- 2018 - Kelly Close (USA)
- 2017 - Domingos Viegas (Portugal)
- 2015 - March Castellnou (Spain)
- 2012 – Dave Thomas (USA)
- 2011 - Jim Cook (USA)
- 2009 - Brian Sharkey (USA)
- 2008 - Bob Mutch (USA)
- 2005 - Ted Putnam (USA)
- 2003 - Marty Alexander (Canada)
- 2001 - Dick Rothermel (USA)
- 2000 - Al Beaver (Canada)
- 1999 - Harry Luke (Australia)
- 1998 - Paul Gleason (USA)
- 1997 - Chuck Hartley (USA)
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