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National Fire Plan Success Story

International Los Diablos Wildland Fire Crew: 20 Years of Service
Big Bend National Park, Texas
National Fire Plan - Firefighting
2010

Fire engine patrols control line.
A screen capture of the ¡Listo! newsletter

The first issue of ¡Listo!, the new quarterly newsletter of Big Bend National Park’s Los Diablos wildland fire crew, is now available online.

In eight pages of articles and color photos, ¡Listo! highlights:

  • The crew’s 20 years of service to the local, state, and national wildland fire community;
  • The park’s new Fire Management Officer, Jim Kitchen; and
  • Expanding opportunities for the crew, this year and in the future.

The front page of ¡Listo! displays the earliest known photo of Los Diablos, which was first published in the December 1994 issue of Outside magazine. Park records indicate that seven of the original Diablos, whose name was coined by their promise to “work like devils” if they were permitted to do so, are still active in the program.

The Spanish word listo has several meanings, all of which apply to the Diablos. As a command from a crew boss, ¡Listo! tells the crew that it is time to move on. As an adjective, listo means ready, prompt, active, and diligent. As an assessment of character, un listo denotes someone sharp-witted and ever-ready to respond appropriately.

Under an agreement between the National Park Service and the Department of Homeland Security, members of Los Diablos are able to respond at a moment’s notice from their riverside villages in Mexico directly adjacent to Big Bend National Park, which is located in a beautiful yet sparsely-populated region several hours distant from any major city.

¡Listo! is available in both the original Spanish (PDF) and English-translation (PDF) editions.

Contact: Reine Wonite, Big Bend National Park Fire Technician and Media/GIS Specialist, (432) 477-2595.