More than 36 participants from federal, state, and local agencies, nonprofits, Tribes, private companies, and higher education institutions across the United States, will gather in Central Oregon for a prescribed fire training exchange (TREX). This program brings together fire practitioners, scientists, and land managers to build hands-on experience in prescribed burning, fire effects, and forest restoration.
From May 4 – 15, 2026, attendees will take part in classroom, field, and live-fire training focused on fire management, proactive fire use, ecology, monitoring, and smoke management. The two-week program emphasizes peer-to-peer, experiential learning, allowing participants to both teach and learn while applying best practices in real-world settings.
Richard Pasquale, with the Deschutes National Forest, and co-Incident Commander for Central Oregon TREX, is looking forward to the two weeks as an opportunity for “sharing and growth of the prescribed fire practitioner community and their access to networks and knowledge.”
“This is the 9th year we have held TREX in Central Oregon and we are excited to host a wide variety of folks from around the Northwest and U.S.” says Thomas Stokely, forest ecologist with The Nature Conservancy and co-Incident Commander for COTREX. “Not only will these participants gain experience and learn more about how to safely and effectively return fire to these fire-dependent ecosystems, but they will be helping protect our communities by supporting efforts to reduce wildfire risk.”
Hosted by multiple partners, TREX aims to expand and strengthen the prescribed fire workforce by providing practical training and fostering collaboration among a diverse group of professionals dedicated to restoring fire-adapted ecosystems.
More information about TREX can be found at https://firenetworks.org/trex/.
