Amanda Monthei Amanda Monthei is a writer and podcast producer who worked as a wildland firefighter and hotshot for four seasons before leaving to focus on her writing career.
Since her days of writing essays in the back of the buggy, Amanda has grown increasingly interested in the ways we think about wildfire in the West, which culminated in her starting her podcast Life with Fire. The podcast explores our relationship with wildfire and how we can better coexist with it; much of Amanda’s written work has followed suit—her work on coexisting with wildfire has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post and several other publications in recent years. As a big fan of doing too much at once, she has also dabbled in working as a Public Information Officer on wildfire incidents for the last three fire seasons. Amanda lives in Bellingham, WA, where she balances writing about wildfire with spending significant time biking, fishing and skiing in the rain. |
Shawna Legarza |
Shawna spent 31 years working in fire and aviation management. She was raised on a ranch in Northern Nevada. She was the first superintendent of the San Juan Hotshots. She was the Forest Fire Management Officer on the San Bernardino National Forest and the Regional Fire and Aviation Director for California. She retired as the National Director of Fire and Aviation for the United States Department of Agriculture - Forest Service, in Washington, DC. Shawna worked at the World Trade Center 9/11 disaster, Hurricane Rita and the Greensburg Tornado. Shawna has a Doctorate in Psychology, a Master of Science in Kinesiology and a Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise Physiology and Teaching. She is currently the Director of Emergency Management for La Plata County in Durango, Colorado. |
Olivia GagliardiOriginally from Hawthorne, NJ I moved out west to Flagstaff, AZ in 2014 to begin an Americorps term with the American Conservation Experience (ACE). I had finished my degree in Conservation Biology from SUNY-ESF and was ready to get out into the world and have an adventure. That was where I first picked up and learned to use a chainsaw (taught by two women) and also where I fell in love with the West. From the summer of 2014 to the spring of 2018 I worked a combination of Conservation Corps work, trail work for the City of Boulder, CO, spent some time on a guest ranch in Northern California, and returned to Flagstaff to be a crew leader for the Arizona Conservation Corps. I loved the work, but was ready for a new challenge. Unsure of what other route I wanted to take at that time, I put in my application for the 2018 fire season and was offered a position with the Flagstaff Interagency Hotshot Crew where I found my next love: fire. During my 4th season (2021) I became a Senior on the crew, then took a detail for the 2022 season with the Missoula Smokejumpers. I will now be moving to Missoula for the 2023 season to begin the next step in my career as a Missoula Smokejumper.
When I’m not on the fireline I can be found climbing, playing the piano, or mountain biking with my dog and adventure partner, Monte |
Katie BrownI started my career in fire as an intern with the Flagstaff Fire Department in 2003. From there, I became a seasonal, then permanent member of the FFD's Fuels Crew, now known as the Wildland Fire Management Division. A few years later, I pursued a position on the line (structural/all-hazards side of the department) and have been there since. I am currently an Engineer/Paramedic and am actively preparing for an upcoming Captain's Promotional Process. I have continued to be active in our Wildland Fire program throughout my career, as an ENGB, EMPF, SITL and PSC2-t. I am rostered with Southwest Incident Management Team 2, a Type 1 IMT as a SITL. I consider myself a student of fire, leadership principles and human dynamics. I consider myself lucky to have been born, raised and currently reside Flagstaff, Arizona with my husband and daughter. I enjoy working out, reading, gardening, baking, listening to music, and almost any activity outside with them!
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Riva DuncanRiva Duncan is a highly respected wildland fire professional with over 32 years of experience working for the US Forest Service. She began her US Forest Service career in 1989 on the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania as a trainee forester. Riva changed her career from forestry to fire management, gaining extensive experience in fire operations on initial attack crews, a hotshot crew, engines, and helitack. Riva has worked in several leadership fire positions in five US regionsincluding Chief 2 on the Klamath NF and Forest FMO for the National Forests in North Carolina. She has served on national working groups focusing on projects including escaped prescribed fires, High Reliability Organizations, accident investigations, and Duty Officer qualifications. Riva is proud to be a Peer Supporter under the Critical Incident Stress Management program. From 2010 through 2016 she served on the USFS National Fire Management Officer Committee. Riva retired in December, 2020, as the Fire Staff Officer for West Central OR Interagency FireManagement Zone. Riva joined Grassroots Wildland Firefighters in February 2021, testified before Congress in April of 2021, and currently serves as the Vice President on the Executive Board. In addition to her advocacy work, she is an Emergency Management Specialist with Forest Service International Programs working directly with wildland firefighters in Ukraine and the Republic of Georgia. Riva has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Forest Management from Purdue University.
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Bre OrcasitasHi, my name is Bre Orcasitas, and I’m one of the lucky few who stumbled into the profession of wildland firefighting. Although my career has evolved from primary fire into more of an advocacy and training focus, I’m still completely committed to the fire family and the preservation of the unique culture that exists within the fire community.
Fire Career Information: Engine Crewmember Interagency Hotshot Crewmember Helicopter Rappeller Smokejumper Field Researcher- (Heat Stress Study on Wildland Firefighters) Subject Matter Expert (SME) for multiple FLAs (Facilitated Learning Analysis’) Family Liaison (Twisp River Fire) CISM-Peer Support Certified Field Operations Specialist (Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center) Creator of "Hold and Improve" books Creator of "The Evolving Nomad" blog |