Firefighters, discussing fire management tactics. These firefighters are part of an elite US crew known as 'hotshots'. They respond to fires rapidly and employ a variety of ground and air techniques to manage forest fires. Firefighters on the ground remove combustible material from areas of land using hand tools and controlled fires to construct areas known as firebreaks. These help to slow or halt the spread of the forest fire. Photographed in 2001 in Medford, Oregon, USA.