Prescribed / Cultural Burn Crew Leader
Hazard Reduction
A Prescribed/Cultural Burn Crew Leader directs a crew during active burn operations — deploying people to ignition and holding positions, monitoring crew safety, and maintaining communication with the burn boss throughout the operation. You're in the fire, managing people who are also in the fire, and you're accountable for how the crew performs when the conditions are real and the stakes are ecological and safety-critical. It's demanding leadership work in an environment that demands your full attention.
Advanced
Experience Level
Spring–Fall
Seasonality
High
Physical Demands
Leading a burn crew is for people who have worked in fire and want more responsibility within it. You're not just executing — you're directing, watching, and making the calls that keep your crew safe and the operation running. The combination of technical fire knowledge and leadership under pressure is what makes this role a step up, and why people who are ready for it find it genuinely engaging.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
A burn day under your leadership starts with the briefing — you're absorbing the burn boss's plan and translating it for your crew. Once you're in it, you're deploying people, checking in continuously, watching the fire and watching your crew simultaneously. Communication with the burn boss is constant. When conditions shift, you adjust. You don't relax until mop-up is complete and the crew is out clean.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Same fire environment as the crew — smoke, heat, terrain — with the added responsibility of making sure everyone performs and stays safe. Prescribed burns are highly structured but not fully predictable. Leading well in that environment is a real accomplishment.
CYCLICAL NATURE OF ROLE
Spring through fall aligned with burn windows and weather conditions. Timing is weather and fuel condition dependent.
REQUIRED EDUCATION & TRAINING
REQUIRED SOFT SKILLS
Leadership under fire conditions
Clear and fast communication with burn boss and crew
Crew safety accountability and situational awareness
Composure and decision-making under dynamic conditions
Ability to adapt crew deployment rapidly to fire behavior changes
REQUIRED HARD SKILLS
Significant experience in fire operations, forestry, or related fieldwork is required
S-100, S-185, and S-130 or equivalent certifications are typically required
S-200 Crew Leader or equivalent certification is commonly required
ICS-200 or equivalent is typically required
Occupational First Aid (OFA Level 1 or higher) with Transportation Endorsement is required
WHMIS certification is required Valid driver's licence is required
ON THE JOB LEARNING
Prescribed burn crew direction and safety oversight
Fire behavior monitoring and operational adaptation
ICS communication and chain-of-command coordination
Leadership accountability in high-consequence environments
Mop-up and fire extinguishment crew management
FUTURE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Crew leader experience in prescribed burning is a direct pathway to burn boss certification, fire operations management, and fuels planning roles. Skills transfer into wildland fire management, cultural fire stewardship, and ecological restoration program leadership. Some crew leaders develop into training and certification roles within fire organizations.