HOW WE WORK
Fire practitioners—whether working full-time in the field, or three weekends a year—need opportunities to hone skills, learn from others, and deepen their relationships with fire. This is fundamental to being able to change our fire culture—one person at a time.
Building the Community of Fire Practitioners
TREX events teach, inspire, and empower. They help fire practitioners build relationships, grow knowledge, and get crucial training and experience with controlled burning, all in one integrated multi-day event. Everyone teaches, everyone learns.
TREX events offer career fire practitioners opportunities to advance their qualifications in a wide range of roles, while working with people with a wide range of backgrounds and experience, who they may not work with in their daily work. And TREX events offer practitioners who might not work directly with agencies—from Tribal members and students to landowners and community members—the skills, experience and connections to progress on their fire journeys so that they can fill their roles in helping build a sustainable fire future.
In addition to fireline skills, participants share and learn about local fire ecology and fire management, get media training and practice, and explore how use new tools and technology They also meet colleagues and make friends that span organizations and careers.
Trex FAQs
Get a quick understanding of TREX—what it is, how it works, and how to get involved.
What is a TREX?
Fundamentally, a TREX is a locally organized experiential training event focused on learning primarily through the application of live fire. A TREX event may be organized in many ways. Originally, a two-week format similar to wildfire assignments was used, but organizers have evolved and expanded the program to fit local needs.
While each event is unique, all TREX events should address three program delivery components – training, treatment, and outreach.
Training includes experiential opportunities to build skills in prescribed fire implementation, equipment use, monitoring, and adjacent skills. This may include progressing qualifications and task books within the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) framework or another formal qualification system.
Treatment results from the hands-on work that is implemented, whether acres or piles burned, hazardous fuels reduced, distance of fire line created or something else.
Outreach involves engaging with the media and surrounding communities to share important messaging, such as the importance of fire to local ecosystems and people, training that fire practitioners receive in order to implement fire safely and effectively, and why burning collaboratively across boundaries and organizations is important.
What does the TREX program do?
The TREX program, and the staff who support it provide coaching and connection for current and prospective organizers, funding for certain events connected to Fire Networks priorities, resources to assist local organizers, and track program growth and accomplishments.
How do I organize a TREX?
No permission is needed to host a TREX, and staff who support the TREX program do not oversee or directly help with planning every TREX event.
If you are interested in planning a TREX, it is strongly recommended that you at minimum attend an event that uses a format similar to the one you are considering. Helping to plan a TREX, serving on a TREX planning or event leadership team, and connecting with other organizers can provide a deeper level of understanding about what it takes to host a successful TREX.
The most important thing to consider when deciding whether to host a TREX is why. TREX events are most impactful when implemented as part of a strategy to achieve a larger goal, such as fostering a local culture of collaborative burning, or developing skills and qualifications for partners. Carefully consider how hosting a TREX fits into your goals and decide from there what type of event best suits your needs.
How do I attend a TREX?
Many TREX events use an application process, while others are open to anyone who registers. Most TREX events are listed on the Fire Networks events page. The TREX Facebook page also posts updates, particularly when save the dates or applications open for specific events.
How do TREX events handle food, lodging, qualifications, etc.? How much does it cost to host a TREX?
Every TREX is unique, and so the answer is always it depends. The best way to handle logistics, cost, and other aspects of organizing will all depend on what type of event you choose to host. Connecting with organizers who host an event similar to the one you have in mind is the best way to understand approximate costs and other needs.