THIMYURISH ACADEMY- The Way Of The Flame
Local Youth Earn Basic Wildland Firefighter Certificates
When you were in high school, would you have used your spring break as a chance to get certified to work as a wildland firefighter? Students from Happy Camp High School have done exactly that!
The training required for an individual to work in fire is a significant undertaking typically involving 32 hours of classroom and field learning. In an effort supported by the Karuk Tribe Department of Natural Resources (KDNR) Pikyav Field Institute, Happy Camp High School (HCHS), and the Mid Klamath Watershed Council (MKWC), the Basic 32 training was offered in Happy Camp in April 2025 as a special course for high school students and recent high school graduates. Lead fire staff from KDNR and MKWC guided students through the coursework covering Basic Wildland Behavior (S190), Wildland Firefighter Training (S-130), and Human Factors in Wildland Fire (L-180). Students learned to understand fire through observations of clouds, wind, and terrain. They learned strategies for staying safe while working with wildfire and techniques for managing it. They practiced measuring weather data, deploying fire shelters, and digging fire lines. Students developed teamwork and situational awareness skills, and they earned a lifetime certification that makes them eligible for employment in prescribed fire and wildland firefighting.
In the weeks before the 5-day training, A series of presenters visited classrooms and talked with students about career opportunities in fire. The speakers were HCHS alumni who had gone on to become local fire professionals. They explained the importance of indigenous science and prescribed burning to strengthen the fire resilience of our communities. During a field trip to a project site in the Slater fire burn scar, students engaged in post-fire restoration work alongside Karuk cultural practitioners and fire ecology researchers from Cal Poly Humboldt. Students demonstrated interest in the Basic 32 course and voted to name the program “Thimyurish Academy - The Way of the Flame”. In the Karuk language, Thimyurish means “fire drill” or “lighter”.
Fire is a central component in the lives of people who live in the Klamath River watershed. Fire suppression in recent history and climate change have increased the threat of catastrophic wildfire. The use of good fire can return the landscape to a more balanced fire regime while also creating local jobs. Graduates of the Thimyurish Academy have taken important steps towards that goal. These young people showed maturity by choosing to use their free time to learn skills that are valuable to their community and that increase their future opportunity for employment and self-actualization.
This project was sponsored with assistance from the Karuk Tribe. Funding for this project was provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Business and Workforce Development Grants as part of the California Climate Investments Program. Additional funding and support for this project came from Siskiyou Works, Ford Family Foundation, California State Parks Outdoor Equity Program, and Community Schools Partnership Program.
