Arnold Frank Masoner, co-founder of Wildland Firefighter magazine and a longtime member of the wildland firefighter community, died July 9 following a battle with cancer.
Born in Hydro, Okla., in 1941, Masoner attended Fresno State College and joined the U.S. Forest Service in 1964 as an administrative officer on the Sequoia National Forest. Later, Masoner was one of the foremost members of FIRESCOPE (Firefighting Resources of Southern California Organized for Potential Emergencies). Originally organized after the disastrous 1970 wildland fires in southern California to improve multi-agency coordination and incident command, FIRESCOPE won national recognition, and its concepts were eventually adopted by FEMA, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group and the National Incident Management System. Masoner was also a finance chief on a Type 1 incident management team and an instructor at the National Fire Academy.
After 31 years with the USFS, Masoner retired but kept in close touch with the community, helping to found Wildland Firefighter in 1996. After retirement he also ran an antique business. Masoner is survived by his mother, Ruth Masoner; son, Scott Masoner; daughter, Kara Masoner; life-time companion, Sue Mattioli; grandson, Mason; sister, Jeanie Frame; and brother, Pat Masoner.
More on Masoner’s life and contributions to wildland firefighting will be included in the September issue of Wildland Firefighter magazine. Remembrances may be directed to the American Cancer Society.