The invention comprises an integrated and distributed wildfire fighting
system used in gathering information related to
firefighting resources, developing a strategic plan, and / or communicating directions to and / or between resources. Communicators linked to positions of natural resources, personnel, and / or equipment are used to communicate identification, position, capability, and / or status of individual resources to a main controller via
satellite and / or aircraft. The communicators additionally facilitate communication between personnel, teams of personnel, levels in a
firefighting hierarchy, and / or with automated equipment. Further, drop ball communicators are used to transmit localized information, such as weather, a fire-retardant drop request, and / or a call for emergency aid to nearby resources, an aircraft, and / or to a main controller.