Colorado Wildland Fire & Incident Management Academy (CWFIMA)

In June of 2024, the Upper Arkansas Valley Wildland Fire Foundation is excited to be in Cripple Creek for the first time during the week-long . The Academy will offer 33 courses and exercises related to all-hazard incident management, wildland fire, and leadership. This nationally recognized wildland fire Academy is one of the largest wildland fire and incident management training events in the United States. This summer, we are continuing to celebrate our 30^th Anniversary and will be commemorating with activities recognizing this milestone.

This is the first time the Academy has been hosted in Cripple Creek! Since its inception in 1994, the CWFIMA has worked collaboratively with local, state, and national agencies to deliver training to over 30,000 students. Colorado, and Cripple Creek in particular, is no stranger to wildfires, and the nearly 500 students attending the Academy will be gaining invaluable operational and incident command knowledge and experience.

Expect to see many fire agency vehicles and personnel at Cripple Creek – Victor Junior/Senior High school, as well as local hotels and restaurants. During the week of the Academy, Public Information staff will be available to provide tours and to set up interviews with key academy personnel and attending students.