pdf Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations: May 2026

The 2026 Red Book — the first edition of the wildland fire community's core operational reference published under the new U.S. Wildland Fire Service.

The Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations, universally known as the "Red Book," is the annual publication that states, references, and supplements federal wildland fire policy and provides program direction for fire and fire aviation management. Produced by the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations Group (ISOG) at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, it is the working standard for federal employees engaged in fire suppression and fire management activities — and an essential reference for the state, local, tribal, and contract resources that work alongside them.

The May 2026 edition is a landmark release. Following the unification of Department of the Interior fire and aviation programs into the U.S. Wildland Fire Service in January 2026, this Red Book serves as transitional policy and supplemental guidance for the new agency, addressing action items from Secretary's Order No. 3448 and subsequent USWFS transition memoranda. For the USDA Forest Service, it provides direction for implementing safe and effective fire and aviation operations under Forest Service Manuals 5100 and 5700. This printing incorporates the officially issued Errata 1 corrections.

Coverage spans the full fire program:

• Federal wildland fire management policy and doctrine
• U.S. Wildland Fire Service and Forest Service program organization and responsibilities
• Tribal and DOI bureau representative information
• Safety and risk management
• Interagency coordination and cooperation
• Fire management planning and preparedness
• Incident management and response
• Suppression chemicals and delivery systems
• Firefighter training and qualifications
• Firefighting equipment and communications
• Aviation operations and resources
• Fuels management
• Reviews and investigations
• The dispatch and coordination system

Whether you are an agency administrator, fire management officer, incident commander, module leader, dispatcher, aviation manager, cooperator, or contractor, the Red Book defines the standards you are expected to know and meet. This professionally printed edition puts the complete 2026 standards in a durable, readable format for the fire cache, the office, the engine, and the go-bag — no screen, no battery, no connectivity required.

This is a reprint of an official U.S. Government publication in the public domain, reproduced faithfully for professional use.