An Essential Ecological Process: Introduction to Wildland Fire (DRAKE HALL)
OSHR 8104In this course, participants will gain a basic understanding of wildland fire, fire management, and fire mitigation. The first session includes a welcome and an overview of the course objectives; a definition of wildland fire; an examination of factors influencing fire behavior (fuel, topography, and weather); and an introduction to fire management (modeling, resources, and incident management). The second session covers wildland fire mitigation basics for homeowners, including the threat from embers, defensible space/home ignition zone, and homeowner actions (home hardening and vegetation/flammable material management). Each session includes a Q&A period. At the end of the course, participants will be familiar with wildland fire terms, the incident management system, and best practices in homeowner fire mitigation.
*Michael R. Czaja, PhD, is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army with an interest in natural resource management. His professional experience includes classroom and web-based instruction, humanitarian assistance/disaster response, law enforcement, and emergency/wildland fire management. Following his retirement from military service, Mike completed a Doctorate in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at Colorado State University in 2012. From 2009 to 2018, he served as a volunteer wildland firefighter (FFT2) and public information officer trainee with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, as well as a US Forest Service fire prevention volunteer. Mike completed a 2022 Fulbright Specialist project in Portugal, working with the Agency for Integrated Rural Fire Management during implementation of the country’s national fire management plan. In 2025, he earned his certification in Community Wildfire Mitigation Best Practices. Mike received the US Department of State’s Meritorious Honor Award for outstanding support to the US Humanitarian Mine Action Program.
Notes
- A current OLLI membership is required to register for all courses and lectures.
- If you do not have a Spring 2026 membership, one will be added to your cart at checkout.
- OLLI membership fees and course tuition are critical to the Institute's sustainability and are non-refundable.
Recommendations
- Maclean, N. (1992). Young Men and Fire. University of Chicago Press.
- Colorado State Forest Service (n.d.). The Home Ignition Zone: A Guide to Preparing Your Home for Wildfire and Creating Defensible Space.
- Larimer County Sheriff’s Office (n.d.). Wildfire Partner Program.
- National Interagency Fire Center (2025, January). Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations.