Federal fire management agencies are required by policy to conduct a Wildland Fire Situation Analysis (WFSA) for all fire incidents that have not been suppressed by initial attack efforts. A survey-based study of senior fire and natural resource managers revealed that while the process is generally regarded as a valuable one in fire management decision making, contextual factors can compromise the quality of its implementation. The frequency of WFSA fires is relatively low in most National Forests, often less than once or twice a year, thereby leading to a decline in the quality of WFSA skills. Lack of WFSA training, lack of fire experience and limited availability of information needed for the WFSA, among other factors, also contribute to poor quality WFSA's. More training as well as reinforced training are needed to maintain line officer and fire staff WFSA fluency.