About Us

Justus Barton, founding member of Wildfire Research Group, has been working in the wildfire industry since 2004. Primarily involved with contract engine operations, Justus worked his way up as a firefighter and founded Archer Mountain Enterprises LLC in 2010.  Since then, we have branched out into the service side of private contracting offering a training program with training MOU agreements with Region 6 and Region 1, Region 6 MOU equipment inspection services and fire equipment consulting, and Region 6 MOU training records verification services.

He has responded to fires nation wide over the years, and has even worked internationally supplying fire equipment and supplies to the Association for Forest Development and Conservation in the country of Lebanon to support Forest Service International Program projects, and many other natural resource management projects.    

Richard Scholl has over 30 years of experience in VIPR contracting. He has worked all over the country providing crews and equipment for wildfire incidents, prescribed fire projects, and hazardous fuel reduction projects. He has also worked internationally providing equipment for the AFDC in Lebanon. He has strong business management skills and truly understands the relationship between the private sector fire community and the public we serve. 

Kathleen Barton, co-owner of Archer Mountain Enterprises, has been in a business management role for over 10 years. She has been our training records specialist for the past five years and helps many companies qualify their staff for fire season every year. Her attention to detail and sense of duty makes her an invaluable asset to our business and she brings that same support to Wildfire Research Group.

Troy Zakariasen is an experienced businessman and entrepreneur with a background in EMS. He founded Fireline Medics in 2016 and has built a company committed to excellent service both on and off the fireline. Troy brings a lot of experience and insight to our organization.

https://firelinemedics.com/

Jared Hendee has worked for 19 years as a federal firefighter, including 7 years as a smokejumper. He left employment with the government and started a contract company offering water tenders. Ever an entrepreneur, he currently works as a general contractor and jack of all trades.  He is still very passionate about public service, and service to his fellow firefighters. His experience in the fire community brings excellent perspective and insight to Wildfire Research Group.  

Steve Rooks has been working in the fire industry for over 40 years. As co-owner of Spence Industrial Wildfire, and Treasure Valley Fire, Steve has a great wealth of knowledge and experience to share. A seasoned businessman, driven by reason and integrity, he brings a great deal to the table.

https://www.treasurevalleyfire.com/

We are seeking interest for advisory committee members to join our team.  There are many topics and areas of interest that we would like to study. Please reach out to us if you are interested in partnering with us!