This summer, the National Park Service welcomed the first all-female fire crew to Denali National Park & Preserve, with the seven-woman team spending months training and working in Alaska.
The 2022 team of six crew members and one crew lead — who hail from all over the country — trained mostly within the boundaries of Katmai National Park and Preserve. That was before moving into Denali to finish out the season during a year that’s already seen a whopping 3 million acres burned statewide, more than triple the average burn area, according to NPS.
“We are just super psyched to have the women up here this year,” said National Park Service Fire Communication and Education Specialist Caron McKee. “We’re already starting to plan the logistics of having another women’s crew next year.”