Bethany Hannah

I became a Hotshot before I fully understood what wildfire would come to mean in my life. The fireline taught me discipline, humility, and the power of shared purpose. It also taught me that the people who carry the tools hold extraordinary insight—insight that too often goes unrecognized. Those early seasons shaped my leadership and taught me to navigate spaces where strength, voice, and presence mattered.

Over time, my role shifted. I became a bridge between the operational world and the strategic world, translating the realities of the field into solutions decision-makers could actually get behind. That perspective now guides my work as the founder of Wildfire International, where I build global training programs, elevate practitioner voices, and advance resilience-focused approaches to modern wildfire.

Today, I work as a champion for the wildland fire community—someone committed to ensuring that the people closest to the fire are the ones shaping the future of it.

What significant achievements have you reached through your outdoor pursuits or your dedication to your craft?:

• Fell my first tree with a cross cut saw in the backcountry of Alaska at 15 years old – went on to become one of the only female sawyers on a Hotshot Crew in the country (at that time) as a 23-year-old wildland firefighter
• Survived a mob attack and an attempted coup (unrelated) in Bolivia
• Heard a ridgeline hum from a lightning storm in the middle of the Unita Mountains
• Fought or lit fire in every state in the continental west (as well as Alaska and Florida). Also worked fire in Canada and South Africa.
• Managed to make an oral history project engaging and impactful
• Had the unconditional love of an Irish Setter and, most importantly, my nieces and nephews think I'm kinda cool on good days and a little bit badass on the best days.

Foundations:

• Wildfire International
• International Association of Wildland Fire
• U.S. Hotshots Association
• Red Ants Pants Foundation

What Mystery Ranch Packs do you Run?

• Bindle 10
• 3 Way Briefcase Expandable
• Flight Monster
• Big Ernie 2.0

Favorite quote(s):

"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset." – Chief Crowfoot

Accomplishments:

• International keynote speaker on women in fire, transformative leadership, resilience, and fire tech integration.
• Founder of the Smokey Generation, a global wildfire storytelling and oral history archive preserving interviews from hundreds of practitioners
• Former PyroLife researcher and coach (EU) studying community engagement
• Board member: U.S. Hotshots Association (USA), Volunteer Wildfire Services, former (South Africa), Wildfire International (USA)
• Invited to speak at the first ever national congress on women in emergency response in Bolivia.