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EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Sisters in Fire brings hands-on experience to Central Texas
MANOR — Dozens of students from across Central Texas gathered in Manor last week for a firsthand look at wildland firefighting and the careers that help protect their communities.
The Texas A&M Forest Service brought together 32 students and representatives from seven local, state and federal fire organizations for the sixth annual Sisters in Fire event Sept. 26 at Travis County Parks’ Owens Tract. The program, which is open to all but primarily targets young women, rotated through lessons on wildfire protective equipment, radio communication and fire suppression.
“Seeing professionals in these positions allows students to picture themselves in that place and say, ‘Oh yeah, I have a role here,’” Firewise Coordinator Kari Hines said.
Reilly Ruggiero, a wildland urban interface coordinator with the Texas A&M Forest Service, said the event also teaches students about wildfire risks in their own communities, including how quickly vegetation dries out after rainfall and why burn bans and red flag warnings matter.
“I think it’s extremely important, especially just for their age, where they grow up, that fire is a part of their life,” Reggiero said. “Something we’re trying to do here is show them that not all fire is bad and show them ways they can protect themselves.”
Ruggiero added the program exposes students to the full range of careers in wildfire response, not just those on the fire line.
“There’s planning logistics, operations, everything,” she said. “It kind of exposes them to as much as we can to the world around them and the environment that they live in with fire.”
Since beginning in 2021, Sisters in Fire has served 153 participants from 50 Texas counties, along with students from Oklahoma, Louisiana and even Denmark.
Organizers said the goal is to continue reaching students who may otherwise never realize wildland fire and natural resource careers are available to them.
“I didn’t get exposed to this until I was in college,” Ruggiero said. “If they have any form of interest in it, it’s like, ‘Oh, there really is something for everybody.’”
