Introduction
After moving from the Chicago area to western Montana, wildfire risk became a regular part of daily life. Fire prevention, fuel reduction, and prescribed burning are now routine considerations. More importantly, I have had the opportunity to observe the firefighters, Smokejumpers, and Forest Service personnel who protect communities throughout the region. Watching these crews work raised a simple question: given how physically demanding wildland firefighting is, why is there so little practical information available on how wildland firefighters should train?
There is a dearth of high-quality information on how to properly periodize a training plan for wildland firefighting. My goal in writing this is to provide wildland firefighters and those who wish to work with them a framework for structuring their fitness programs. The goal of this framework is to maximize both fitness gains, and job preparedness throughout the year.
This framework has strengths and limitations. My hope is that by reading this, you have a clearer understanding of the operational demands and unique challenges of wildland firefighting, and can modify the ideas presented to suit your own needs.
Who Are Wildland Firefighters?
Wildland firefighters (WLFF) range in age from the early 20s to mid-40s, with an average age of about 27 years old for U.S. Hotshot crewmembers. This workforce is 85-90% male and 10-15% female in most crews. Crews consist of both professional firefighters and volunteer firefighters. In some countries such as Portugal, the wildland firefighters are over 90% volunteer. In the United States the wildland firefighting workforce is about 20-30% professional, about 70-80% volunteer, and a small fraction of the workforce enters through a work-release / inmate firefighting program in select states.
This is noteworthy because a large percentage of our firefighters are volunteers and understandably may not approach their fitness programs with the same rigor as a professional. These are normal people who are honorably trying to serve their communities to the best of their ability in their free time. This is not meant to be a criticism of our volunteer firefighters, but highlights many practical limitations that they face.
Permanent positions as wildland firefighters are often limited to management and elite crews like Hotshots and Smokejumpers. Many of these firefighters serve seasonal roles lasting for 3-6 months, and others on an annual basis. When WLFF are deployed, their shifts can often last for 14-21 days at a time working 12-16 hours per day.
Fire Season Timeline
Wildfire frequency and intensity tend to peak during the hottest and driest seasons. This is typically July-September in the U.S. This is when WLFF will be most active in fire suppressing activities. Conversely the winter months are the least active period for wildfire suppression. This is typically November-March in the U.S.
What Do Wildland Firefighters Actually Do?
WLFF encompasses a wide range of activities. Most of the time is spent hiking over uneven terrain, carrying equipment, constructing Fireline with hand tools, conducting mop-up operations, and performing various support activities. WLFF often must operate in conditions with steep slopes, uneven ground, rocky terrain, deep brush, and of course fire. It’s common for weather conditions to be very warm and dry, and often smokey. One of the most important issues for WLFF is dealing with heat stress. This comes from the warm temperatures, proximity to fire, and the rigorous exercise performed while under load and PPE.
Task demands vary considerably depending on fire behavior, terrain, weather conditions, crew assignment, and suppression strategy. However, several core tasks are consistently observed across agencies and geographic regions.
Hiking and Load Carriage
WLFF must carry and be proficient with significant amounts of equipment during deployments. This includes the ingress (entering) and egress (exiting) portions of the deployment. Although WLFF may have the support of motorized land and air vehicles or pack mules and horses at times, they ultimately must hike in and out with a substantial load. Personal protective equipment (PPE) such as a helmet, gloves, boots, and Nomex protective gear can weigh around 9-11 lbs. They also need to pack in their various tools, hydration, and food for long deployments which weigh between 44-66lbs. Often a chainsaw may be assigned which can weigh between 15-22 lbs. Additionally they will have to carry additional fuel, hose lines, water, and other fire suppression gear on a needs-basis. All of which summate to a significant amount of weight that must be carried in and out of fire suppression areas, largely by foot.
Hiking is one of the most common and physically demanding activities performed by wildland firefighters. Crews frequently travel long distances over steep, uneven, and unstable terrain while carrying personal protective equipment, water, food, hand tools, and operational gear. These hikes can exceed 12 miles per day and cover hundreds of feet of elevation gain / loss. Rucking pace averages between about 1.9-3.1 mph.
Wildland firefighters may spend several hours per shift hiking to and from the fireline, with ingress hikes often representing some of the most physiologically demanding periods of the workday. The combination of prolonged hiking and load carriage creates substantial demands on aerobic fitness and muscular endurance.
Fireline and Tool Operations
There are a variety of tools used for fire suppression. These tools are broadly used to dig, scrape, rake, and cut through earth and vegetation. Most of these tools are non-motorized and hand operated. In some cases, motorized equipment can be prohibited from being used in fire suppression. This includes protected wilderness areas, red flag conditions, or when local regulations prohibit their specific use. The typical fire suppression tools carried by WLFF can include (but may not be limited to):
- Pulaski (axe and hoe combination)
- McLeod (rake and hoe combination)
- Hoes
- Fire rakes
- Shovels
- Drip torches
- Backpack water pumps
- Chainsaws
To stop or slow the spread of a fire, WLFF create a barrier called a Fireline. To do so, they remove any combustible materials in a continuous strip that deprives the fire of additional fuel. This is done by digging, chopping, raking, and otherwise clearing anything combustible down to the bare soil. This means uprooting plants down to their roots, cutting down trees and shrubs and clearing them out of the fire line, and digging what is effectively a trench (though in this case the trench is wide instead of deep into the ground) through difficult terrain. Fireline construction may require more than 3,000 tool strikes per day, making it one of the most repetitive and physically demanding tasks performed during wildfire suppression.
Operating motorized equipment like chainsaws to clear brush and debris is also common.
WLFF will have to carry, drag, deploy, and pack out hose lines for fire suppression. The weight of these hoses can vary but typically weigh about 10-15lbs per 100ft when dry and about 30-65lbs when charged with water. This is often done in difficult terrain with elevation changes, and the hoses can encounter significant drag resistance.
Prescribed Burns
Some firefighters participate in prescribed burning and firing operations during wildfire suppression. These activities involve carrying drip torches, igniting fuels, and moving continuously across variable terrain while coordinating with suppression crews. Environmental heat exposure may be particularly high due to prolonged proximity to active fire.
Mop-Up
Following containment, firefighters conduct mop-up operations to locate and extinguish residual heat sources. Mop-up activities often involve digging, scraping, overturning logs, moving debris, carrying hose, and applying water to smoldering fuels. While mop-up is generally less intense than direct Fireline construction, it can continue for many hours and often occurs after firefighters have already accumulated substantial fatigue from earlier work.
Support and Logistics
WLFF will constantly need to move or reposition things like fuel, gear, food, and water throughout deployments. WLFF will also have to move crew members, equipment, and camps throughout fire suppression. Although these tasks may not be as physically demanding as creating a Fireline, they contribute to the accumulated fatigue incurred throughout a deployment
Physiological Demands of Wildland Firefighting
Fire suppression involves a unique blend of continuous exercise and high intensity intermittent efforts. Sustained rucking will naturally present more cardiovascular and endurance challenges, whereas creating fire lines and hose deployments require shorter high intensity efforts.
Cardiovascular and Energy Demands
WLFF is fundamentally an aerobic occupation punctuated by intermittent higher-intensity efforts. Although all energy systems contribute to energy production concurrently, aerobic metabolism is the workhorse of the WLFF. Glycolysis does play a secondary role, particularly for the high intensity intermittent bouts. The phosphagen system is of least overall importance for WLFF. Work to rest ratios can vary, but prolonged operations can approach ratios of 4:1.
Hiking while carrying equipment frequently represents one of the most metabolically demanding components of wildfire operations, with estimated oxygen consumption approaching or exceeding the demands associated with established occupational fitness tests. Relative oxygen consumption rates during rucks and tool work have been reported to range from 19-34 mL/kg/min. Heart rate responses can range from 140-160bpm during operations, often peaking near 180bpm. This is typically about 75-90% of the age predicted heart rate maximum values during strenuous activity.
Consequently, aerobic fitness is likely one of the most important physiological characteristics supporting successful wildfire suppression.
Muscular Demands
Wildland firefighting requires repeated force production across a wide variety of occupational tasks. Firefighters must hike over uneven terrain, carry equipment, operate hand tools, deploy hose, construct Fireline, move debris, and perform chainsaw operations while exposed to unforgiving environmental conditions.
Many of these tasks involve prolonged periods of repetitive muscular work. Fireline construction, for example, requires repeated digging, scraping, chopping, and raking motions that may be sustained for several hours. Similarly, prolonged hiking and equipment carriage place continuous demands on the musculature of the lower body and trunk. These occupational characteristics suggest that muscular endurance is a primary determinant of performance during wildfire suppression.
However, maximal strength also appears to play an important supporting role. Greater strength may allow occupational tasks to be performed at a lower percentage of an individual's maximum capacity. Consequently, stronger firefighters may experience lower relative physiological stress during repetitive occupational tasks and may demonstrate greater resistance to fatigue accumulation across a shift or deployment. Strength is also highly associated with rucking and load carriages. Stronger firefighters will be able to carry heavier packs with greater ease, maintain a higher pace while loaded, and be less prone to injuries.
Because WLFF need both endurance and strength, relative strength (strength to bodyweight ratio) can be a particularly useful metric. Being heavily muscled may provide a large strength benefit, but the extra bodyweight makes all movement less efficient and more taxing. WLFF benefit from being as light as possible while remaining strong enough to meet occupational demands.
Heat Strain and Environmental Stress
Wildland firefighters operate in environments characterized by substantial thermal stress. Heat strain results from the combined effects of environmental temperature, radiant heat exposure, metabolic heat production, protective clothing, and prolonged work duration.
Unlike many occupations where environmental heat can be avoided or controlled, wildland firefighters often perform strenuous physical activity in close proximity to active fire while exposed to direct solar radiation and elevated ambient temperatures. These factors may significantly increase cardiovascular strain and challenge the body's ability to dissipate heat.
Research has consistently demonstrated elevated heart rates, increased physiological strain indices, and substantial thermal stress during wildfire suppression activities. The magnitude of heat strain appears to vary according to suppression tactics, workload, environmental conditions, and duration of exposure.
Although firefighters generally demonstrate remarkable tolerance to these conditions, prolonged exposure may contribute to dehydration, impaired physical performance, reduced cognitive function, and increased risk of heat-related illness.
Fatigue and Recovery
The physical demands of wildland firefighting extend beyond the requirements of a single shift. Firefighters frequently perform prolonged physical work over multiple consecutive days while experiencing restricted sleep opportunities, environmental stress, and incomplete recovery.
Wildfire deployments commonly involve shifts exceeding 12 hours, repeated for up to two weeks or longer depending on agency policies and operational requirements. During these deployments, firefighters may accumulate substantial physiological and psychological fatigue resulting from the combined effects of physical exertion, sleep restriction, heat exposure, and occupational stress.
Studies examining multi-day wildfire deployments have reported progressive increases in fatigue, sleepiness, and reductions in cognitive performance as deployments progress. Importantly, some indicators of fatigue remain elevated even after firefighters have completed their assignment and entered designated recovery periods.
Firefighters must not only perform physically demanding tasks but must also tolerate repeated exposures to these demands while maintaining acceptable levels of safety and performance throughout an entire deployment. This indicates that WLFF need both a high work capacity and high recovery capacity to be effective. Wildland firefighting is therefore not simply a test of peak physical performance, but of repeated performance under accumulating fatigue.
Epidemiology
Injury rates can vary across studies, but reports have indicated about 8.5-13 injuries per 10,000 worker days during wildfire suppression. Some studies indicate that over multiyear periods, annual injury rates can range from 12-23% of personnel, depending on the length of deployment and region.
The most common injury types include:
1. Muscular injuries: sprains, strains, and overuse injuries. Particularly to the lower back, knees, and shoulders
2. Blisters and abrasions
3. Heat-related illnesses
4. Respiratory illnesses from smoke inhalation
5. Eye injuries from fire hazards or vegetations
The most common causes of injury come from overexertion, overuse, slipping and falling hazards, and environmental exposure. The most common injury sites include the lower back, knees, ankles and feet, shoulders, and upper extremities.
The most common health risks for WLFF include:
- Prolonged exposure to smoke
- Long term chronic pain. Some studies show that 60% of WLFF report persistent pain years after service
- Sleep deprivation and circadian rhythm disruption
- Psychological stress such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety
The leading causes of death for WLFF include:
- Cardiovascular events, accounting for about 45% of on-duty deaths
- Fire entrapment
- Vehicle accidents
- Falling debris
Fitness Standards and Key Performance Indicators
WLFF must pass a fitness test called the work capacity test (WCT). This is a 3-tiered test which differentiates fitness requirements by position:
These tests are generally on a pass / fail basis. Returning and career firefighters generally have high pass rates, whereas newer recruits with lower fitness levels have failure rates ranging from about 10-20%. The WCT is generally administered in March through May depending on the region. In some cases, agencies may require mid-season retesting or retesting when staff members are returning from injury.
Agencies may also implement supplemental field testing for job-specific duties, though these are not federally standardized.
Regardless of how someone scores on the WCT, there are several key performance indicators WLFF should be primarily focused on:
Based on the occupational demands identified throughout this needs analysis, five physical qualities emerge as the primary determinants of wildland firefighting performance:
1. Aerobic Fitness
2. Muscular Endurance
3. Relative Strength
4. Load Carriage Capacity
5. Movement Economy
Aerobic fitness and muscular endurance are the quintessential components of a high work capacity. They are essential for sustaining continuous work in rucking, tool operations, and other logistical tasks. Another related component is movement economy. Movement economy refers to the ability to perform tasks with increasingly less energy. You can think of it in a very similar way to the gas mileage of your car. The more fuel efficiency, the longer you can go without fueling up. In wildland firefighting this relates to efficient hiking technique, load carriage tolerance, tool handling efficiency, pacing strategies, and familiarity with operational equipment. Two firefighters may possess similar aerobic fitness levels, yet the firefighter who moves more efficiently will fatigue less over the course of a deployment.
WLFF must also be strong relative to their size. Strength will improve their capacity to carry heavy loads, operate equipment, and reduce risk of injury or death. However, this does not mean that WLFF should develop a physique similar to a bodybuilder or powerlifter. Rather they want a light and lean physique that punches above its weight in strength, like a gymnast. Staying lightweight and strong has the additional benefit of increasing overall movement economy.
It can be difficult to rank order these qualities since they are largely interconnected. Instead of listing them as a hierarchy of needs, it can help to think of them as two main priorities:
1. Work Capacity (aerobic fitness, muscular endurance, movement economy)
2. Carrying Capacity (strength, load carriage)
Developing a high work capacity is usually the priority. Work capacity is often the foundation needed for other forms of rigorous training, like strength training. Put differently, a firefighter who cannot sustain the work cannot fully express their strength. An individualized needs analysis will better outline the training priorities for each athlete, but as a general guideline WLFF should prioritize building work capacity first and carrying capacity second.
Not every firefighter requires the same training emphasis. A firefighter with excellent aerobic fitness but poor strength may benefit from prioritizing strength and load carriage development. Conversely, a firefighter who is strong but poorly conditioned may benefit more from improving aerobic fitness and work capacity. The purpose of the needs analysis is not to prescribe identical training for everyone, but to identify the qualities that will most improve performance for a specific athlete.
Identifying the key performance indicators is only the first step. The next challenge is determining how these qualities should influence training decisions. Body composition, strength development, work capacity training, and task-specific conditioning all contribute to firefighter performance, but not necessarily to the same degree or at the same time throughout the year. The following recommendations provide a practical framework for translating the needs analysis into training priorities.
Practical Implications
WLFF require a unique blend of fitness abilities. They need strength to ruck with a substantial load with elevation change and challenging environments and operate / deploy heavy equipment such as chainsaws and hoses. They must have substantial muscular endurance as they travel great distances on foot, work long shifts, and create fire lines through difficult terrain. They also must have cardiovascular fitness to sustain these long and arduous efforts. WLFF also have a unique challenge in the need to acclimate to heat stress.
Body Composition
In this case there is an odd conflict of interest between the demands for strength and endurance. Typically gaining strength involves periods of muscle gain and periods of heavy loading performed cyclically over time. Gaining endurance is typically performed through moderate loading work capacity training and increasing the distances / durations of the activity that needs to be performed. Increasing strength can help improve performance and lower injury risk substantially for all these tasks.
WLFF should be lean to reduce excess bodyweight and muscular enough to support fire suppression activities. During operational periods, WLFF should maintain body fat percentages of 10-15% for males and 15-20% for females. Greater body fat levels than these will cause notable performance decrements. Body fat levels less than these will likely be difficult to achieve or maintain and leave WLFF needlessly fatigued for operations. WLFF should generally have lean, fit, and strong build without carrying a lot of total bodyweight. Keeping a low bodyweight and lean body composition is also important for maintaining a high movement economy.
Strength
WLFF need strength for its performance enhancing and injury reducing effects. However, the type of strength needed is generally not maximal strength, but a more generalized strength to operate and deploy heavy equipment. This means WLFF may not need to spend as much time pursuing muscle gain or maximal strength in their training routines. Instead WLFF are generally trying to strike the balance of being strong (and muscular) enough to be effective, while having an energy-efficient bodyweight to support sustained efforts.
As a result, using strength to bodyweight ratio may be the most appropriate way of assessing their strength needs. Although there are different ways to do this, using an estimated 1 repetition max (1RM) value from their training logs is one of the most practical. In this case, WLFF can use the back squat exercise as a reference point. Scaling an estimated squat 1RM to the athlete’s bodyweight can provide a simple strength benchmark that indicates if the athlete needs to spend more time developing strength and muscle. Here’s a sample of what this benchmark might look like:
These values are not validated occupational standards, but rather practical benchmarks derived from coaching experience and the strength demands associated with load carriage and occupational tasks.
So if we have a male WLFF weighing about 185lbs, which is normative, they should be able to squat ~ 230lbs as a 1RM. This is very achievable with a consistent reasonable resistance training program. If our athlete cannot squat ~230lbs (a ratio of 1.25), this means they should place a greater emphasis on gaining muscle and strength in their upcoming annual training plan. If they can squat more than 230lbs, they can maintain current muscle and strength levels and focus on other lagging aspects of their training.
The goal of strength training is not to maximize strength at all costs. Rather, the goal is to develop sufficient strength to support occupational demands. Once adequate strength levels have been achieved, further improvements may provide diminishing returns relative to improvements in work capacity, movement economy, or task-specific conditioning.
Work Capacity
The combination of aerobic fitness and muscular endurance, commonly called work capacity, are the most significant key performance indicators (KPIs) for WLFF. In this case we have a very specific context of endurance to develop. WLFF need to be able to ruck and create fire lines. This level of specificity is important because it can help eliminate training methods which do not have great transfer of training effects. WLFF can narrow their endurance-based goals into two major focus areas: rucking / walking, and fire suppression.
The WCT test previously mentioned is a reasonable assessment. While the WCT has limitations as a comprehensive assessment of wildfire performance, it does weed out candidates with poor work capacity. Success requires that candidates hit 15 minute miles under a 45 lb load, which is roughly a walking pace of 4 miles per hour. Although there is room for improvement from a fitness standpoint, this is very reasonable from a practical standpoint considering the assessment costs virtually nothing, it is easy to score and standardize, and doesn’t needlessly constrict the candidate pool since a great portion of them are volunteers. It may be worth further differentiating scores for professional crew members, however crews should implement alternate scoring on a need’s basis.
Scenario Training
Assessing fire suppression is difficult because it involves fitness, skill, and tactical components. Accordingly, training and assessment for fire suppression should primarily revolve around ‘small sided games’. Small sides games are essentially a bite-sized version of sport or activity with specific objectives and constraints. This is usually performed at competition intensity or close to it and can be more simply conceptualized as ‘scenario’ training. The athletes are usually targeting a specific skill or tactic and constrained from using others.
The beauty of small sided games is that it improves sport specific conditioning while emphasizing the skill and tactical components of the sport at high levels of specificity. This is an incredibly economical use of training time and can make highly valid assessments. Although work capacity training can improve overall muscular endurance, there’s no better way to develop conditioning for creating fire lines than simulating the digging, cutting, and raking tasks in a controlled setting. This is understandably difficult as this training is not as simple as setting up a few cones on a field and passing a ball around like in traditional sport training. It is much easier said than done, especially considering the large volunteer population.
Although WLFF may be deployed at any time, they have the benefit of strong statistical trends in wildfire activity. This provides the framework by which WLFF can periodize their training and nutrition strategies throughout the year. This ensures that they have the time needed to make substantive physical changes if needed and can peak their preparedness when they need to be actively deployed.
While common physical demands exist across most wildland firefighting roles, substantial variability occurs between agencies, crew types, geographic regions, and operational assignments. Consequently, no single training program is optimal for every firefighter. Instead, coaches and athletes should use the needs analysis process to identify the most relevant demands for their specific role.
Developing an Annual Plan
The purpose of this annual plan is not to prescribe a rigid training program, but rather to provide a framework for organizing training priorities throughout the year. With the information gathered from the needs analysis we can outline a periodized approach. Before zooming out and looking at a yearly overview, let’s zoom in for a moment to identify what training for WLFF consists of. There are many ways to go about this, but I believe the following framework is very effective. Fitness training for WLFF consists of 4 major components:
1. Resistance training: training to increase / maintain muscle mass, build work capacity, increase strength
2. Rucking: training to increase work capacity and endurance under heavy loading
3. Conditioning / Small sided games: job specific drills to improve conditioning, skill proficiency, and strategy
4. Heat acclimation: progressive tolerance to heat stress
Each of these 4 components will have distinct subgoals with our annual plan. For people not in the sports and exercise science world, this is understandably a lot to juggle on their own. One of the goals of periodization is to sequence training goals in such a way that both build fitness over time, while preserving previously established fitness. For example, long term gains in strength require both gains in muscle mass and gains in neuromuscular strength. A training sequence starting with muscle building and ending in strength preserves strength while building muscle, and preserves muscle while building strength. Pivoting from one goal to another does not require the previous subgoal to decondition.
Due to the strong seasonal trends in fire activity, WLFF have the benefit of a clear periodization structure. We can break the calendar year into 4 distinct periods of training, each with their own specific goals:
1. General Preparation: January through March
2. Specific Preparation: April through June
3. Peaking: July through September, with potential extension into October
4. Active Rest: November through December
October represents a transitional period in wildland firefighting where operational demands can vary significantly based on geographic region, climate conditions, and fire season severity. While peak wildfire activity in many regions of the United States typically declines after September, extended seasons—particularly in the western U.S.—can sustain meaningful operational demands into October. From a programming standpoint, October is best treated as a flexible “bridge” month rather than rigidly assigned to either peaking or active rest. In higher-activity years or regions, it may be appropriate to maintain elements of peak readiness (e.g., work capacity and task-specific conditioning), whereas in lower-activity contexts, a shift toward recovery and active rest is justified. This approach aligns with the variable and unpredictable nature of wildfire suppression demands, where physical workloads can still be substantial.
General Preparation Phase
The general preparation phase serves as the foundation of fitness that will support WLFF throughout the year. This phase is the furthest away from peak fire season, and as a result will generally have the most rigorous training. This is the only time throughout the annual plan where WLFF are making a distinct tradeoff between short-term preparedness and long-term fitness improvements. This is a strategic tradeoff since the occupational demands during this time period are relatively low, and athletes can afford to carry a bit more training fatigue.
Body Composition
One of the primary concerns during this phase is body composition improvement. Athletes who need to gain muscle and or lose fat need to tackle those goals during this phase, as they are too fatiguing to execute in the latter phases of the annual plan. Athletes who need to make major body composition changes should aim for 4-6 hypertrophy focused training sessions per week, paired with either a hyper or hypocaloric diet to meet their respective goals. Athletes seeking to gain muscle should set a weight gain goal between 0.25-0.5% bodyweight per week. Athletes seeking fat loss should set a weight loss goal between 0.5-1% bodyweight per week.
Load Carriage
WLFF also need to acclimate traversing rough terrain under load carriage. The load carriage can be a large source of fatigue and injury for many tactical athletes. To mitigate risk and improve performance, WLFF need to acclimate progressively to heavier loading over time so their bodies can condition to the additional stress. This can be done by incorporating weighted vests, packs, or gear into long walks or rucks. For athletes who are not yet conditioned to the additional loading, they may choose a starting weight of 10% of their body weight or less. Athletes who train under load carriage more regularly may start around 10-20% of their bodyweight, and add small to modest loads week to week.
Rucking
Additionally, WLFF need to acclimate travelling great distances on foot. During this phase, this can be accomplished in a gym setting by uphill treadmill walking with a weighted vest. Alternatively, this can also be accomplished outside if the athlete has access to hiking trails or nature areas with a pack or weighted vest. The goal of this phase is to progressively acclimate to load carriage, but more importantly, acclimate to covering longer distances under load carriage. Athletes should plan 1-3 long ruck type training sessions per week using a light to moderate additional load.
Small Sided Games
Another form of conditioning is regaining familiarity with their professional tools. Most WLFF will not actually forget how to use these tools, but rather just need to bring them back into training to improve conditioning and efficiency. One of the best ways to do this is through what is called ‘small sided games’ in sport training – essentially scenario training. In this phase, WLFF the small sided games are simply meant to reestablish the basics techniques and ‘feeling’ of digging fire lines, laying hoses, and operating their tools. These can be programmed as drills, and can be performed submaximally. A large emphasis should be placed on technique, efficiency, and strategy rather than heart rate or RPE. Athletes should plan 1-3 of these small sided games drills per week.
Heat Acclimation
Lastly, athletes need to begin acclimating heat stress. This can be a bit more challenging depending on where the athlete lives. January and March tend to be cooler seasons, so just being outside may not be as helpful in this regard. If the athlete is somewhere warm, then spending time outside and exercising outside is a simple place they can start. Athletes in colder climates may have to wear extra layers of clothing during exercise to deliberately increase their body temperature and get used to physical exertion while hot. This can be taken too far too quickly and result in heat stress injuries if the athlete is not careful.
Just like all forms of training, this heat stress should be progressively overloaded. For example, an athlete who typically wears shorts and a T-shirt to train might start with athletic pants and a long sleeve shirt. Then later might upgrade to sweatpants and sweatshirts. Then later may add additional base layers, etc. Athletes will naturally sweat more during this time, and may have to adjust their typical hydration and electrolyte routines accordingly. Although this might sound initially silly, this can be extremely difficult for many people. Athletes should take this portion of their training seriously to help prevent heat related injuries during fire seasons.
Heat adaptations occur relatively quickly, often within 1-2 weeks of consistent exposure, but may also decay when heat exposure is removed. For this reason, heat acclimation becomes increasingly important as fire season approaches and should be maintained throughout periods of active deployment when possible.
Specific Preparatory Phase
In the specific preparatory phase athletes cease all body composition changes and stabilize their bodyweight. From this point on their diet should be at maintenance calories and their bodyweight should remain stable over time. Accordingly, the resistance training portion shifts away from hypertrophy training towards training for strength and maximal strength. Athletes should emphasize axially loaded movements like squats and deadlifts to help tolerate increases in load carriage as well as overall performance. Athletes should plan 3-4 strength focused training sessions per week.
The rucking portion during the specific preparatory phase undergoes several important changes from the general preparatory phase. Here the athlete is increasing the specificity of their training to meet their operational demands. Here the athlete should be using moderate to heavy load carriages, and progressively loading towards their operational load carriages. Rucks will be more moderate in overall duration, but emphasis should be placed on increasing pace and overall intensity. Athletes should also try to move away from athletic equipment and towards the actual gear they will be using, including packs, footwear, clothing etc. This also means transitioning from inside to outside, preferably in similar terrain to operations. Athletes should plan about 2 heavy load carriage, moderate duration, and high intensity rucks per week.
The small sided games portion during this phase pivots from basic techniques and strategy to high intensity drills and scenarios meant to closely mimic fire suppression activities. As much as reasonably possible, these should be conducted in outdoor staging areas like their working environment and should incorporate both team and individual scenarios. Athletes should work progressively in these scenarios towards their ideal operational pacing. This is also a great opportunity to promote teamwork and cohesion in a low-stakes setting.
The heat acclimation portion of this phase shifts from an ‘extra’ thing the athlete is doing during training, to more of an omnipresent part of all training activities. During activities like rucking or small sided games, athletes should swap out sweats for their firefighting kit. If the athlete has not already done so, progressively adding environmental heat stress to these activities will help them acclimate. Again, this can be taken too far too quickly. Just like training stress, heat stress needs to be progressive and within the athlete’s ability to tolerate. Heat stress can also significantly reduce overall exercise performance, so athletes should be cautious as they progressively increase training and heat stress concurrently, and learn how to pace their efforts to avoid heat illness.
Peaking Phase
The peaking phase is where WLFFs pivot from gaining overall fitness to elevating their preparedness for fire suppression. In this phase all forms of training should be reduced to maintenance doses of training. This means that training sessions should be very intense, but also very low in overall volume and frequency. In the cases of rucking, small sided games, and heat acclimation specific training may cease entirely if the WLFF is being deployed regularly. Executing these tasks on the job is often enough to cover their continued maintenance without additional training. Strength training therefore may be the only actual training occurring during this phase at times. If the WLFF is not being deployed regularly, they may consider adding 1 rucking and 1 small sided games training sessions per week to keep those abilities sharp. The more training is reduced, the more fatigue is alleviated, and the higher the preparedness of the WLFF.
The strength training portion should be focused on maximal strength development using heavy loads and few sets and reps. The rucking portion if applicable should be focused on maintaining a high operational pace with low to moderate distances. The small sided games portion if applicable should also be focused on maintaining a high operational pace, keeping the total duration of these drills low. WLFF can carry over some of the heat acclimation practices they have been doing in previous phases, but can likely scale back significantly if being deployed regularly.
It’s important to remember that all of the fitness and ability has already been gained at this point. The goal is to now express all of the abilities the athlete has been developing for months. There is very little to be gained in the short term from more rigorous training. It’s essential for the athlete to keep a low state of fatigue and high level of preparedness so they can operate effectively. You can think of this in the exact same way as peaking football players for playoff competitions.
Active Rest
As the fire season winds down, athletes need time for physical and psychological recuperation. The stress from training and firefighting activities can be grueling. WLFF like all athletes need time to decompress and heal. The end of fire season also nicely aligns with the holiday season. This is a fantastic time for WLFFs to catch up with friends and loved ones after potentially being away for extended periods of time.
The active rest phase is meant to alleviate all of the physical and psychological baggage the athlete has been carrying to this point. In this phase training and nutrition can be scaled back significantly. Athletes should heavily focus on relaxation, stress management, and social support. This doesn’t mean abandoning all of the good habits they have been developing, but rather scaling back the rigidness and returning some autonomy. Although this phase is more relaxed, there are still some training goals to meet:
1. Don’t lose muscle
2. Don’t gain excess body fat
3. Don’t decondition
A little training goes a long way in facilitating these goals. Two strength training sessions per week, and 1 rucking session per week is often sufficient to achieve those goals. Instead of following a rigid diet and exercise plan, athletes should more or less do what feels good in the moment. Again this doesn’t mean abandoning diet or training all together, but rather just approaching it the way they want for this short period of time. If the athlete would rather leg press than squat, that’s fine. If the athlete wants to indulge a bit on holiday treats, that’s fine as well. As long as the athlete is hitting the 3 major goals of this phase, there is a lot of flexibility in how to approach it.
After the active rest phase, the WLFF is ready to begin a new general preparatory phase with a fresh body and mind. As athletes recycle through this annual plan process, they may shift priorities based on their current needs. Some years may have a focus on weight loss and movement economy, whereas others may have a focus on gaining muscle and strength. Each training year should be developed based on the athletes current strengths and weaknesses, and thus will likely be a little bit different each time.
Conclusion
Wildland firefighting is a uniquely demanding and hazardous occupation that requires firefighters to perform prolonged bouts of physically strenuous work in unpredictable environments. These athletes must simultaneously tolerate heavy loading, challenging terrain, extreme environmental conditions, sleep disruption, and cumulative fatigue while maintaining the physical and cognitive capacity to make critical decisions under pressure. The predictable nature of the fire season provides a valuable opportunity to apply periodized training principles, allowing firefighters to develop fitness during lower-risk periods and maintain operational readiness when fire activity is highest. By understanding the occupational demands of wildland firefighting and aligning training accordingly, firefighters can improve performance, enhance resilience, reduce injury risk, and better protect both themselves and the communities they serve. The growing complexity and intensity of wildland fires further underscore the importance of treating physical preparation as a fundamental component of occupational readiness.
Ultimately, the goal of training is not to maximize fitness, but to maximize operational readiness when firefighters are called upon to perform.
Interested in training support for yourself or your crew? If you’re a firefighter or represent a fire district and want to learn more about working with James or the RP team, reach out to rpcoaching@rpstrength.com for more information.
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