By Thomas “Troop” Emonds, Founder · Nehalem, Oregon · 23 Years U.S. Forest Service & BLM Smokejumper
| Choosing among firefighting gear suppliers is not a procurement exercise. It is an operational decision with consequences that play out on the fire line, not in a conference room. The gear a crew carries determines how quickly they can build line, how safely they can retreat, and how much they can realistically accomplish across a 14-hour shift. At Dragonslayers, we have spent more than two decades building hand tools designed around one principle: the firefighter should never have to stop and think about their equipment. The tool should disappear into the work. What follows is a direct account of how we think about wildfire tool design, what distinguishes professional-grade gear from standard-issue equipment, and what procurement officers, crew leaders, and homeowners in the wildland-urban interface should understand before they buy. |
Why Most Conventional Wildfire Tools Were Already Outdated
Here is the uncomfortable reality about the hand tools most fire agencies were still issuing through much of the twentieth century: many of their core designs had not changed meaningfully since the 1910s. The Pulaski, an essential wildfire tool, entered widespread use after the 1910 Big Blowup. Its basic geometry was still essentially the same seventy years later.
That is not tradition. That is inertia.
The problems were not subtle. Single-function tools forced crews to carry more weight. Handles failed under field conditions. Blade-to-handle connections on traditional Pulaskis allowed the head to loosen or come free entirely — a safety hazard that becomes acute in high-stress situations. The tools were also sized and weighted for a generalized figure rather than designed around ergonomic science, meaning crew fatigue accumulated faster than it needed to.
When I left the Forest Service after 23 years, these frustrations were the foundation of what became Dragonslayers. The goal was never to produce a slightly better version of what already existed. It was to rethink wildfire hand tools from the mechanism outward.
| FIELD INSIGHT The shift in wildfire intensity across the American West is not theoretical. Fires are burning hotter, moving faster, and occurring in fuel types that were historically wetter or less combustible. Tools designed for 1970s fire conditions are increasingly mismatched to the work crews are being asked to do. |
What Separates a Premium Tool from Standard-Issue Gear
Most of the differences that matter are invisible at the point of purchase. They show up at hour ten on a fire line, or when a handle takes a compressive load it was not designed for, or when a crew needs to switch tasks quickly and discovers that none of their single-function tools are right for what is in front of them.
There are four criteria we evaluate every tool against:
| Criterion | What to Look For | What Standard Gear Misses |
| Handle Integrity | Three times tensile strength of traditional materials; pin-lock or snap-lock mechanism | Hardwood splits under load; heads can loosen or detach |
| Tool Versatility | Multi-function heads; interchangeable handle systems | Single-function tools require carrying 3–4 implements for the same work |
| Transport Design | Breakdown capability; compact stow for smokejumper aircraft or vehicle deployment | Fixed-handle tools that do not pack efficiently |
| Longevity | Replaceable blades and handles; formal warranty; multi-year program durability | 1–2 season lifespan before replacement; no refurbishment pathway |
The Universal Handle system we developed as part of our Phase II USDA grant work addresses the transport and versatility problems simultaneously. A single handle with a snap-lock mechanism accepts multiple tool heads. A crew can reconfigure for digging, raking, or smothering without switching implements entirely. On a fire line where conditions change by the hour, that is not a convenience. It is a tactical capability.
“A tool should disappear into the work. The firefighter’s attention belongs on the fire, not on the equipment in their hands.”
Matching the Right Tool to the Right Fire Environment
One of the clearest gaps in how most buyers approach wildfire tool procurement is the assumption that a single tool set works across all fire environments. It does not. Grassland fires, temperate forest fires, and Arctic Taiga fires require different tool geometries, different blade profiles, and different approach strategies.
| Magnum Pulaski Temperate forest and mixed fuel. Double-width grub-hoe blade, replaceable components, handle 3 inches longer than traditional for improved leverage and safety balance. | Troop Tool Multi-function forest tool. Operates as angled shovel, McLeod scraper, fire rake, and mop-up tool. Designed for upright working posture to reduce fatigue and improve visibility. |
| Dragon Swatter Grassland, oak-grass, and Ponderosa pine/grass ecosystems. Highly effective for both suppression and prescribed burning; the preferred tool for controlled burn programs. | Tony Pad Swatter Arctic Taiga ecosystems. Designed specifically for the fuel structure, terrain, and fire behavior patterns of northern boreal environments. |
| Bonnie Slam Hammer Combination tool with steel wedge head and Magnum Pulaski blade. Useful across mixed operational requirements where two distinct tool functions are needed in a single implement. | Titanium Core Felling Axe High-strength titanium core construction for superior felling performance. For operations where timber cutting is part of the suppression or fuel reduction work. |
The most common procurement mistake we see is organizations purchasing one tool type for all conditions. Interagency Hotshot Crews running prescribed burn programs in mixed grassland and Ponderosa pine environments have very different needs from a rural department responding to a wildland-urban interface fire in dense chaparral. The tool selection should follow the fuel model, not the other way around.
The USDA Research That Changed How We Build
Everything we manufacture at Dragonslayers traces back to a structured research program, not a product idea. In 1998, the U.S. Department of Agriculture funded a Small Business Innovation Research Grant to develop next-generation wildfire hand tools. Phase I focused on the Pulaski: improved balance through core material changes, doubled grub-hoe blade width, replaceable blade components, and a handle that could never mechanically separate from the head.
The results were strong enough that the USDA extended the program to Phase II, which expanded the scope to all conventional wildfire hand tools. The objective was consolidation, ergonomic improvement, and versatility. The Universal Handle system was the most significant design output of that second phase.
This origin matters for buyers. Our tools are not consumer products adapted for professional use. They were built under a federal research mandate to solve the specific shortcomings that professional wildland firefighters documented from field experience. The Interagency Hotshot Crews that use our tools — including the Entiat IHC in Washington and the Prineville IHC in Oregon — are not running a product trial. They are using tools that were specifically designed in response to conditions they work in.
| 23 Years of Smokejumper field experience behind the design | 2 USDA SBIR grant phases funding tool development | 3× Handle strength vs. traditional Pulaski construction |
Wildland-Urban Interface: What Property Owners Must Understand
The wildland-urban interface is not a geographic designation. It is a risk profile. Properties that sit at the edge of or within wildland fuel zones face a threat condition that standard home insurance models were not designed to price accurately, and that most homeowners do not fully understand until they are watching the news during an active incident near their property.
The operational reality is that agency fire crews prioritize suppression at the fire’s perimeter. They are not typically in a position to defend individual structures at the interface. That responsibility falls, in practice, on the property itself and on whatever preparation the owner has done before the fire arrives.
We work with homeowners in high-risk zones to develop property-specific wildfire protection plans. Using plat maps and aerial photography, we identify fuel accumulation zones, develop a prescribed burning schedule to reduce continuous fuel loads, and build a property-specific risk reduction plan. We also offer two-day training programs that teach interface residents to execute controlled burns safely and to position fuel breaks that interrupt fire spread before it reaches structures.
This is not speculative risk management. It is the same approach that federal agencies have used for decades to protect timber, rangeland, and wildlife habitat. Applied to private property at the interface, it is one of the most cost-effective risk reduction strategies available.
The Link Between Fuel Management and Real Fire Insurance Costs
The insurance industry’s response to wildfire risk is worth understanding directly. In high-risk areas across California, Colorado, Oregon, and other western states, insurers have been withdrawing from markets or raising premiums substantially. The underlying logic is actuarially sound: where fuel loads are high and defensible space is absent, the probability of a total loss event is elevated enough that conventional underwriting no longer pencils out.
What this means practically is that real fire insurance for interface properties is increasingly tied to documented risk reduction measures. Several insurance carriers now request evidence of defensible space, vegetation management plans, or participation in fire-ready community programs as part of underwriting. A documented prescribed burning history on a property is demonstrable evidence of reduced fuel load, which directly addresses the actuarial concern.
The tools required to maintain a fuel management program are, by nature, the same tools used in active wildfire suppression. The Dragon Swatter, Troop Tool, and Magnum Pulaski are all in regular use in prescribed burn programs managed by nonprofit conservation organizations and private landowners across California and Washington. Their durability over multi-year programs is specifically why organizations managing long-term habitat burning programs choose them: budget predictability depends on tools that do not need annual replacement.
| MISCONCEPTION Fuel management is a one-time project. Clear brush once and the risk stays low. | REALITY Fuel loads regenerate. Effective risk reduction requires a multi-year burning and vegetation management program that matches the fuel growth cycle of the specific ecosystem. |
| MISCONCEPTION Standard garden or agricultural tools are adequate for prescribed burning and fuel reduction. | REALITY Consumer-grade tools fail under the physical demands of real fire work. They are not designed for the posture and leverage requirements of effective line-cutting or smothering. |
A Practical Buying Framework for Agencies and Departments
For procurement officers at federal, state, or local fire agencies, rural fire departments, and conservation organizations running prescribed burn programs, the decision process should work through four questions:
1. What fuel environments will this gear work in?
Match tool selection to the specific fire environment. Grassland and savanna fires require different tool geometry than dense forest fuel conditions. A single kit is rarely the right answer for a department covering diverse terrain and fuel types.
2. What is the realistic multi-year cost of ownership?
A tool that costs 40 percent more but lasts three to four years instead of one to two years is less expensive at the program level. Dragonslayers tools are backed by a one-year warranty and carry a formal refurbishment program. Replacement blades and handles are available at a fraction of full replacement cost. Budget modeling for multi-year prescribed burn programs should account for this.
3. How does the tool perform under sustained physical work?
Ergonomics and handle length affect not just comfort but safety. A tool that encourages an upright working posture reduces the probability of musculoskeletal injury over a season. That is a workers’ compensation and operational effectiveness concern simultaneously.
4. Does the supplier understand fire operations?
There is a meaningful difference between suppliers who understand procurement requirements and suppliers who understand what happens when the tool is in use. Our design work came out of 23 years of direct smokejumper experience. When we specify handle dimensions or blade widths, those specifications come from operational reality rather than manufacturing convenience.
| FIELD INSIGHT The broader shift in wildfire suppression philosophy is toward managing fire as a landscape phenomenon rather than exclusively extinguishing individual events. That means prescribed burning, fuel load management, and long-term ecosystem stewardship are increasingly part of the operational picture. The tools that perform in suppression are also the tools that perform in management, and procurement decisions made today will shape program capability for years. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Dragonslayers tools different from standard wildfire hand tools?
Our tools were developed through a USDA-funded research program specifically to address documented safety, ergonomic, and durability failures in conventional wildfire hand tools. Key differences include a pin-lock handle system that cannot detach under load, multi-function versatility, a universal interchangeable handle, and replaceable components designed for multi-year program use.
Which Dragonslayers tool is best for prescribed burning?
The Dragon Swatter is the most widely used Dragonslayers tool for prescribed burning, particularly in grassland, oak-grass, and Ponderosa pine ecosystems. The Troop Tool is also effective for prescribed fire work in forest environments where raking and scraping are required as part of fireline construction or mop-up operations.
Can homeowners in wildfire-prone areas use Dragonslayers tools?
Yes. We supply tools to homeowners in high wildfire-risk areas and offer property wildfire protection plan development services. We also provide two-day training programs for wildland-urban interface residents on prescribed burning techniques, defensible space creation, and safe use of fire as a land management tool.
How do wildfire hand tools relate to fire insurance coverage?
Documented fuel management and defensible space programs are increasingly relevant to real fire insurance underwriting in high-risk areas. Some carriers now request evidence of vegetation management as part of policy evaluation. A maintained fuel reduction program, supported by professional-grade tools, creates an auditable record of risk reduction activity.
Do Dragonslayers tools come with a warranty?
All Dragonslayers tools carry a one-year warranty. Components subject to heavy wear — including blades and handles — can be replaced through our refurbishment program at a modest cost. This is specifically designed to support multi-year prescribed burn programs where budget predictability depends on tools lasting well beyond one or two seasons.
What agencies and organizations currently use Dragonslayers tools?
Our tools are in active use by Interagency Hotshot Crews — including the Entiat IHC in Washington and the Prineville IHC in Oregon — as well as rural fire departments, federal and state agencies, nonprofit conservation organizations, county building departments, home security firms, insurance companies, and the U.S. military.
How do I select the right tool kit for my department or crew?
The right selection depends on your primary fuel environment and operational requirements. We offer kits tailored to temperate forest, universal wildland, grassland, and smokejumper deployment contexts. Contact us directly to discuss your specific operational conditions and the combination of tools and handle systems that best fit your program’s needs.
Equipment Decisions Are Operational Decisions
The core argument of this piece is simple: wildfire gear selection should be driven by what actually happens on a fire line or in a prescribed burn program, not by what is cheapest at the point of purchase or most familiar from past procurement cycles.
The conditions driving wildfire intensity across the United States are not improving. Hotter fires, more explosive fuel accumulations, and an expanding wildland-urban interface mean that crews, agencies, departments, and individual property owners are being asked to operate in increasingly demanding conditions. The tools they carry should match those conditions.
At Dragonslayers, everything we build was tested against real operational requirements and refined through direct feedback from line firefighters. The goal was never to sell equipment. It was to give firefighters tools that would not fail them when it mattered most. That standard has not changed in twenty-five years of building.
Thomas “Troop” Emonds is the founder of Dragonslayers Premium Wildfire Tools and a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management as a Smokejumper. Dragonslayers is based in Nehalem, Oregon. Contact: troop.dragonslayers@yahoo.com | 503-812-6974
