What was the worst fire in California history?
The worst of the wildfires that burned across California from September 22 - October 4, 1970, the Laguna Fire ignited on the morning of September 26, 1970 in the Kitchen Creek area of San Diego...
What is the worst fire in California?
The worst of the wildfires that burned across California from September 22 - October 4, 1970, the Laguna Fire ignited on the morning of September 26, 1970 in the Kitchen Creek area of San Diego County's Laguna Mountains.
What started the fire in California?
Who Started fire in California? After a very meticulous and thorough investigation, CAL FIRE has determined that the Camp Fire was caused by electrical transmission lines owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electricity (PG&E) located in the Pulga area. The fire started in the early morning hours near the community of Pulga in Butte County.
What is the biggest fire in California?
The five largest wildfires in California history
- August Complex fire. Description: The August Complex started in August 2020 as more than 30 separate, lightning-caused fires in the Mendocino National Forest.
- The Dixie fire (uncontained) Description: The fire ignited in July 2021 near a Pacific Gas & Electric Co. ...
- Mendocino Complex fire. ...
- The SCU Lightning Complex fire. ...
See more
How long has CAL FIRE been around?
From the Air Program and Mobile Equipment, to the Conservation Camp Program and Resource Management, it has been a long and ever evolving history. Many lives and events have shaped the history of CAL FIRE since 1905.
When did CDF become CAL FIRE?
However, over time, union has become a household word in the ranks. In the late 1990's, CDFEA changed its name to CDF Firefighters. We then were called CDF Firefighters Local 2881. Then, just a couple of years ago, our name changed again to Cal Fire Local 2881.
Why did CAL FIRE start?
After a very meticulous and thorough investigation, CAL FIRE has determined that the Camp Fire was caused by electrical transmission lines owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electricity (PG&E) located in the Pulga area. The fire started in the early morning hours near the community of Pulga in Butte County.
What is CAL FIRE short for?
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is an emergency response and resource protection department. CAL FIRE protects lives, property and natural resources from fire; responds to emergencies of all types; and protects and preserves timberlands, wildlands, and urban forests.
Is CAL FIRE privately owned?
The men and women of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) are dedicated to the fire protection and stewardship of over 31 million acres of California's privately-owned wildlands.
Why did CDF change to CAL FIRE?
1, the department changed its name to better reflect its many functions, as well as to provide a simpler way to refer to the department, according to Fire Prevention Specialist Chris Morgan. “The other name was so unwieldy, you almost had to pause for breath before getting to the 'Fire Protection' part,” he said.
Is CAL FIRE the largest fire department?
CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the third-largest fire department in the United States. Our firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA).
How is CAL FIRE funded?
Fire Prevention Grants are funded by Cap-and-Trade auction proceeds appropriated by the California Legislature to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), who is responsible for administering funds allocated from the CCI Program.
How many employees does CAL FIRE have?
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is California's fire department and resource management agency. The organization is comprised of nearly 8,000 permanent and seasonal employees.
How many firefighters does CAL FIRE have?
The heart of CAL FIRE's emergency response capability is a force of nearly 5,300 full-time fire professionals, foresters, and administrative employees; 1,783 seasonal firefighters; 2,750 lo- cal government volunteer firefighters; 600 Volunteers in Prevention; and 4,300 inmates and wards that currently provide 196 fire ...
How many trucks does CAL FIRE have?
The current fleet consists of over 2,800 vehicles which includes 383 front line fire engines in 12 different models, 237 crew buses and 58 bulldozers.
Can CAL FIRE give you a ticket?
So, while fire marshals technically have the authority to pull you over and make a traffic stop, they almost never will. This is not their area of expertise and responsibility. Fire marshals can make arrests related to arson offenses and issue tickets or citations for breaches of the fire code.
Is CAL FIRE the largest fire department?
CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the third-largest fire department in the United States. Our firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA).
Are fire jumpers real?
Smokejumpers are experienced wildland firefighters who fly to fires via airplane and parachute as closely as they can to a fire. Smokejumpers can get to remote fires safely and quickly, helping keep high-risk fires small.
What is Cal Fire?
Website. calfire.ca.gov. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection ( Cal Fire) is a fire department of the California Natural Resources Agency in California, United States. It is responsible for fire protection in various areas under state responsibility totaling 31 million acres, as well as the administration ...
What is the name of the fire department in California?
Firefighters employed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection are represented by IAFF affiliate, Cal Fire Local 2881, which represents 5,700 members within Cal Fire Local 2881 and is also associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).
What aircraft does Cal Fire own?
Cal Fire owns its own fleet of air tankers, tactical aircraft and helicopters, which are managed under the Aviation Management Program. Additional aviation resources are leased by the department when needed. All of the fixed wing aircraft, while owned by Cal Fire, are piloted and maintained by DynCorp International. The Cal FireAir Program is one of the largest non-military air programs in the country, consisting of 23 Grumman S-2T 1,200 gallon airtankers, 14 OV-10A airtactical aircraft and 12 UH-1H Super Huey helicopters. From the 13 air attack and 10 helitack bases located statewide, aircraft can reach most fires within 20 minutes.
What counties are paid by Cal Fire?
The counties of Marin (MRN), Kern (KRN), Santa Barbara (SBC), Ventura (VNC), Los Angeles (LAC) and Orange (ORC) are paid by Cal Fire to provide fire protection to state responsibility areas within those counties rather than Cal Fire providing direct fire protection, and are commonly known as the "Contract Counties".
How many units are there in Cal Fire?
The largest and most visible part of Cal Fire operations is fire protection. Operations are divided into 21 operational units, which geographically follow county lines. Each unit consists of the area of one or more counties. Operational units are grouped under either the North Region or South Region.
How many fire camps does Cal Fire have?
In conjunction with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Cal Fire uses thousands of incarcerated firefighters at 44 conservation camps throughout the state on fire prevention, fire suppression, and various maintenance and conservation projects. Cal Fire works with employees of the California Conservation Corps since ...
How many acres of land burned in California in 2020?
In the 2020 California Fire Season alone, 4,257,863 acres of land burned in the state. In total, the department responds to over 500,000 annual calls for service, only 2% of which are wildland fires. The primary job of Cal Fire is to provide fire protection for the state responsibility area (SRA).
How many S-2 engines did Cal Fire have?
Three separate leases with the U. S. Navy brought a total of 55 S-2's and 60 engines for the program. This allowed CAL FIRE to keep the fleet going until the mid-90's when it was decided to upgrade from S-2A to S-2T airtankers.
What aircraft did Cal Fire use?
The CAL FIRE Air Tactical Aircraft. In the mid 1970's CAL FIRE found that the contractor-owned air attack planes, mostly single-engine Cessna 182's and Cessna 210's, did not provide the airspeed and safety needed for the new airtanker program.
What helicopters did Cal Fire use?
CAL FIRE began using contractor-owned helicopters for fire control in the mid 1960's. Bell 47, Hiller FH1100, Bell Jet Rangers and Aerospatiale Alouettes were used the most through the 1970's. Five accidents involving contractor-owned Bell Jet Rangers occurred in 1979. CAL FIRE decided that owning and operating agency-owned helicopters was needed. In 1981, CAL FIRE obtained 12 Bell UH-1 F series helicopters. Although the "F" model served the CAL FIRE well it was difficult to support. In the late 1980's CAL FIRE began a program to phase out the "F" model and upgrade to newer, larger UH-1 H helicopters.
Why did the CAL fire use helicopters?
In 1960 the Division of Forestry decided to experiment with a small, skilled initial attack crew to be transported by helicopter to increase the early arrival of manpower and equipment to an initial attack fire. Because of the limited capacity of the helicopter, CAL FIRE selected "men that were light in weight and tough in muscle and fortitude" for the helitack assignment. Although the crews were trained for hover jumping and had purchased heli-jump suits from the US Forest Service, it was never found necessary to make a jump.
When did California start using airtankers?
The possibility of using aircraft for fighting wildland fires in California was first proposed in 1931 and again in the late 1940's after World War II. In 1953 the Nolta brothers of Willows, California, proposed using their agriculture spray planes for fighting brush and grass fires. During the four fire seasons, 1954-1957, CAL FIRE used several small airtankers on a call-when-needed basis. These were primarily spray airplanes converted for use as firefighters. Also during this period, several enterprising aviation companies had been converting World War II TBM's for airtanker use. Thus, in 1958 CAL FIRE first contracted for airtanker services with private aviation companies. That year contracts were let for three N3N, four Stearman and four TBM airtankers. The N3N's and Stearman's were World War II biplanes used for pilot training and converted for use as agricultural spray planes. They were capable of carrying up to 200 gallons of fire retardant chemicals. The TBM, a World War II torpedo bomber, could deliver 600 gallons.
Where were the helicopters located in California?
The helicopters were located at CAL FIRE facilities which protected high value timberlands and critical watershed areas generally in Northern and Central California with one located at Ryan Field in Southern California. The helicopter began playing an increasing role in the Department's Initial Attack strategy during the late 70s.
What is the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection?
The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection serves and safeguards the people and protects the property and resources of California.
What is the 2020 Fire Siege?
The 2020 Fire Siege report chronicles actions, decisions and challenges faced across the broad expanse of CAL FIRE operations and administration. This multidisciplinary approach to telling the story of the 2020 Fire Siege exemplifies the interconnected elements that work in concert to achieve the CAL FIRE mission every day and without fail.
Overview
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is the fire department of the California Natural Resources Agency in the U.S. state of California. It is responsible for fire protection in various areas under state responsibility totaling 31 million acres, as well as the administration of the state's private and public forests. In addition, the department provides varied e…
Operations
CAL FIRE's foremost operational role is to fight and prevent wildfire on 31 million acres of state forestland. The organization works in both suppression and prevention capacities on state land, and offers emergency services of various kinds in 36 out of California's 58 counties, through contracts with local governments. The organization also assists in response to a wide range of disasters and incidents, including earthquakes, water rescues, and hazardous material spills. Th…
Organizational structure
The largest and most visible part of CAL FIRE operations is fire protection. Operations are divided into 21 operational units, which geographically follow county lines. Each unit consists of the area of one or more counties. Operational units are grouped under either the North Region or South Region.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is the CAL FIRE program that protects life and prop…
Equipment
CAL FIRE uses various apparatus to accomplish their daily responses. Engines fall under two categories, either being state-owned — mostly wildland, or city/county owned, which CAL FIRE operates under contract.
For the wildland portion, most engines are manufactured with West-Mark or Westates (now American Truck & Fire Apparatus) bodies on an International chassis. Commonly seen models o…
See also
• California Conservation Corps
• California Department of Parks and Recreation
• FIRESCOPE
External links
• Official website