What is a CIMT?
A Complex Incident Management Team: the highest-tier organized command the fire system assigns to a wildfire.
When a fire outgrows local control, the fire system assigns an incident management team. A CIMT is the top of that ladder. It replaced the old Type 1 and Type 2 team distinction, and it arrives with a full command structure: operations, planning, logistics, and finance sections, often running hundreds to thousands of personnel.
CIMT assignments are tracked on the national team roster. The roster moves before the narrative catches up: a team is named to a fire days before the official report describes it.
For contractors
A CIMT assignment is the biggest ordering signal there is. Tents, lighting, base camp support, catering, tenders, and hauling orders typically progress through the system before the assignment reaches the official report. The contractors who hear it early are the ones who meet the date and time needed.
In the briefing
A solid CIMT chip on a fire line means the assignment is confirmed on the national team roster.
Related terms
IMT types · The national team roster · Type 3 IC
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