BLM Master List Of Station Locations

[PJH]

It's been a few years since I worked there so may have been changes. I still have a large county map that defined all the response areas and jurisdictions. Kern has two Bells based at Keene (407 and 408) and has an air supervisor plane (490). They tend to go "all in" for the wildfire stuff.

 

[SCPD]

Eagle Lake is in Lassen County and is dispatched by Susanville CC

There are a 4 BLM engines at Markleeville, California which are part of Carson City BLM district and dispatch by Sierra Front.

There are also a couple of BLM engines at Weaverville dispatch by Redding.

There are also a couple of BLM engines in Ukiah.

I didn't know the Redding Field Office had any fire resources. I know they have a fire management position on the staff there, but this is the first time I've heard of any engines assigned to that Field Office.

I didn't know there were 4 BLM engines at Markleeville. I just checked the Sierra Front comm center's Wildweb page and there aren't any BLM engines listed there today. I know of the 2 FS engines assigned there and that shows up on the Wildweb list. When I pass through Markleeville I see one BLM engine there most of the time.

The Ukiah Field Office was in the Northern California District for a very long time, but after the BLM revived their districts a few years back it was placed in the Central California District. Each field office was reporting directly to the California State Director, with the exception of those in the California Desert District, as the BLM tried to eliminate the district level for budgetary reasons some years back. They found it to be unworkable so they reestablished the districts under all the state offices a few years ago.

The BLM and the Forest Service both work under similar laws establishing a multiple use policy for each agency. Their organizational levels have similarities as well. The 12 BLM state offices are similar to the 9 Forest Service regions, the District level is similar to the Forest Supervisor level in the Forest Service and the BLM's field offices are similar to Forest Service ranger districts. The Forest Service levels tend to be more complex than their counterpart levels in the BLM though. Forest Service regions have 18-25 National Forests in each and the management intensity of each is usually greater than a single BLM district. BLM field offices often cover more area than a USFS ranger district, but the intensity of each varies depending on location. The idea of combining the agencies has come up both administratively and politically over the years, but the laws governing each agency are quite different. The southwest portion of Colorado has had a combined FS/BLM organization for about 10 years with some district rangers cross designated as field office managers as well. So far it hasn't been tried in other locations and may not work well outside of that area. In the fire management function of each agency combining the organizations of each is in place in many locations. It works very well on the Inyo National Forest where the fire management organization is combined with that of the Bishop Field Office. ICS has made this type of arrangement possible as the patches and apparatus colors of the various agencies may be different, but the qualification process is identical.

A better gain in efficiency between the two agencies would be moving the Forest Service into the Department of the Interior. This would put all the primary land management agencies of the federal government under one umbrella and, in my opinion, would result in the necessary changes and reforms that the Forest Service needs to make now. The Forest Service has some traditions and resistance to change that are not helping it and service to the public either. They really don't know what they want to be when they grow up now that they are cutting far less timber. The agency continues to have an old guard of resource extraction oriented at the regional and Washington offices levels that time and attrition is not changing quickly enough, although I must say that there have been many innovative, somewhat rebellious Forest Supervisors I've greatly admired. Conservative western members of the Congress block any attempt at moving the Forest Service to where it belongs based on the myth that more jobs and value are created with timber cutting and grazing, when numerous economic studies conducted in the last 50 years have proved otherwise. "Facts are stupid things" is a quote of one the most prominent of the group. Anyway this discussion is a bit off topic, but given the discussion of the two agency's fire resources it may prove interesting to some.

 

[SCPD]

---Northern California District---

Arcata Field Office –Fortuna Interagency Command Center

•King Range Office and Fire Station
E3233

Alturas Field Office – Susanville or Modoc Communications Center

•West Valley Fire Station and/or Centerville Work Station
E3234
E3235

Surprise Field Office - Susanville Communications Center

•Surprise Valley Fire Station (Interagency w/ BIA)
E3236
E3237

Eagle Lake Field Office – Dispatched by Plumas Emergency Communications Center or Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center

•Doyle Station (Interagency w/ USFS)
BC3910
E3241
E3323
E3324
E3424



---Central California District---

Bishop Field Office –Owens Valley Interagency Communications Center or Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center

•Mono Basin Fire Station (Interagency w/ USFS)
BC3117
E3132
E3141

•Topaz Fire Station (Interagency o w/ USFS)
E3131
E3141

Bakersfield Field Office – Central California Interagency Communication Center

•Chimney Peak Fire Station (Interagency w/ USFS)
Unnamed Type 4 engine

•Kernville Fire Station (Interagency w/ USFS)
DZ3183

•Midway Fire Station
E3134
E3147
WT3191

•Metro Fire Station
E3130
E3140
E3144

•South Fork Fire Station
E3133
E3146
WT3192
DZ3182



---California Desert District---

The California Desert District is dispatched by the Federal Interagency Communications Center in San Bernardino

•Pinyon Fire Station
E3630

•Olancha Fire Station
E3634
E3635

•Black Rock Fire Station (Interagency w/ NPS)
E3636

•Apple Valley Fire Station
BC3618
E3637
E3638
E3648
WT3690

•Hole in the Wall Fire Station (Interagency w/ NPS)
E3639

•Cahuilla Ranger Station
Rescue 1S
Rescue 2N

More comments. I wasn't aware of a Forest Service engine being assigned to the Chimney Peak BLM station. The Type III at the Blackrock station has been the only FS resource on the Kern Plateau for many years now, with the exception of Bald Mountain lookout. A patrol unit used to work out of Blackrock also, but I don't think that is the case anymore. I don't see a USFS engine assigned to Chimney Peak listed on the Central California Comm Center resource status page and don't remember it on past years lists either. I don't think Chimney Peak was staffed at all last year and perhaps earlier years as well. The Sequoia's Blackrock station should not be confused with the NPS/BLM Black Rock Station.

You show Engine 3141 under both the Topaz and Mono Basin stations. That is more or less true some years and not others. At the height of the fire season it is assigned to Topaz and during the shoulder seasons it might be at the Mono Basin station 1-3 weeks during those times. Its primary assignment is Topaz.

As I understand it Susanville dispatches for all the BLM field offices on the eastern portion of the Northern California District so the Centerville and West Valley Stations should be listed under Susanville.

Engine 3635 is assigned to the Salt Wells BLM station near Ridgecrest as is Division 3605. The fire management organization of the Ridgecrest Field Office services Death Valley National Park as well.

 

[2k1typeSH]

---Northern California District---

Arcata Field Office –Fortuna Interagency Command Center

•King Range Office and Fire Station
E3233

Alturas Field Office – Susanville Communications Center

•West Valley Fire Station and/or Centerville Work Station
E3234
E3235

Surprise Field Office - Susanville Communications Center

•Surprise Valley Fire Station (Interagency w/ BIA)
E3236
E3237

Eagle Lake Field Office – Plumas Emergency Communications Center or Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center

•Doyle Station (Interagency w/ USFS)
BC3910
E3241
E3323
E3324
E3424



---Central California District---

Bishop Field Office –Owens Valley Interagency Communications Center or Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center

•Mono Basin Fire Station (Interagency w/ USFS)
BC3117
E3132
E3141 (Secondary station)

•Topaz Fire Station (Interagency w/ USFS)
E3131
E3141 (Primary station)

Bakersfield Field Office – Central California Interagency Communication Center

•Chimney Peak Fire Station (Interagency w/ USFS)
Unnamed Type 4 engine

•Kernville Fire Station
DZ3183

•Midway Fire Station
E3134
E3147
WT3191

•Metro Fire Station
E3130
E3140
E3144

•South Fork Fire Station
E3133
E3146
WT3192
DZ3182



---California Desert District---

The California Desert District is dispatched by the Federal Interagency Communications Center in San Bernardino

•Pinyon Fire Station
E3630

•Olancha Fire Station
E3634

-Salt Wells Fire Station
E3635

•Black Rock Fire Station (Interagency w/ NPS)
E3636

•Apple Valley Fire Station
BC3618
E3637
E3638
E3648
WT3690

•Hole in the Wall Fire Station (Interagency w/ NPS)
E3639

•Cahuilla Ranger Station
Rescue 1S
Rescue 2N




Edits made: remove interagency label from Chimney Peak Fire Station, add primary and secondary labels to E3141 at Topaz and Mono Fire Stations, make Susanville Comm Center the dispatch center for Alturas Field Office, move E3635 to Salt Wells Fire Station.

***Exsmokey, good catch on the fact that Chimney Peak Fire Station is not interagency with the U.S. Forest Service. It is the Bald Mt. Lookout that is interagency with them. I misread the BLM station posting. Attention to detail!

 

[oldschoolamb]

Map

Thank you for the updates. Still working on the map. Awaiting reply on some station addresses and will finish up map.

 

[SCPD]

Bald Mountain Lookout on the Sequoia NF has an Inyo NF radio because it can see the Kern Plateau of the Inyo very well. North of Mammoth Lakes on the Inyo National Forest is the only lookout on that forest and it is named "Bald Mountain" also. While the Inyo's Bald Mtn. is not used very often, the Sequoia's is used season long every year. To avoid confusion the Sequoia's lookout identifies as "Sequoia Bald Mountain" on the Inyo's south net.

 

[abiu01]

Doyle BLM Station

•Doyle Station (Interagency w/ USFS)
BC3910
E3241
E3323
E3324
E3424

Doyle Station is part of the Carson City District of BLM and is dispatched by the Sierra Front Dispatch.

Plumas NF generally has a patrol, engine anda dozer stationed at the Doyle Station during fire season, and is dispatched by the Plumas Dispatcher.

However, I have seen the Plumas NF equipment from this station respond with the BLM equipment on IA to fires all over the western side of Nevada. It looks like they are using the the closest equipment respond policy.

Dave

 

[swylie]

BLM Stations

BLM Dozer 3184 is Stationed at the Mother Lode District Office in El Dorado Hills, CA as well as Engine 3158. BLM Crew 8 "Folsom Lake Crew" Is Stationed at a retired Sac Metro Station 33 in Fair Oaks, CA and the Crew is Dispatched by Camino ECC (AEU/ENF/TMU).

 

[SCPD]

BLM Dozer 3184 is Stationed at the Mother Lode District Office in El Dorado Hills, CA as well as Engine 3158. BLM Crew 8 "Folsom Lake Crew" Is Stationed at a retired Sac Metro Station 33 in Fair Oaks, CA and the Crew is Dispatched by Camino ECC (AEU/ENF/TMU).

I've learned of some BLM fire resources in California that I was previously unaware of. Are you sure that 3158 is an engine? A former coworker of mine works out of the Hollister Field Office and has the designator "3156." Wildcad shows the 50 number series assigned to prevention and other members of the fire management staff that are not division chiefs, batt chiefs, station supervisors and engine captains. The third digit for engines in the California designator system is the engine type and 3158 would be a Type V engine, something I didn't think the BLM had in California.

Is "Crew 8" a twenty person IA handcrew?

 

[SCPD]

•Doyle Station (Interagency w/ USFS)
BC3910
E3241
E3323
E3324
E3424

Doyle Station is part of the Carson City District of BLM and is dispatched by the Sierra Front Dispatch.

Plumas NF generally has a patrol, engine anda dozer stationed at the Doyle Station during fire season, and is dispatched by the Plumas Dispatcher.

However, I have seen the Plumas NF equipment from this station respond with the BLM equipment on IA to fires all over the western side of Nevada. It looks like they are using the the closest equipment respond policy.

Dave

The Plumas resources are dispatched by "Plumas" located in Quincy, correct? I think that these resources used to be based at the old Mohawk ranger station located just inside the boundary of the Plumas National Forest south of Susanville.

 

[abiu01]

Doyle BLM Station

Yes, "Plumas" is dispatched at the SO at Quincy.

Also the Plumas NF has a brand new facility at the Beckworth Airport, located on the north side of the runaway. They have a new crew there "Beckworth Crew 1".

They were supposed to also have an engine and a Type 1 helo at this new station. But the only thing I can confirm is the crew.

Dave

 

[abiu01]

BLM Ravendale Station

The BLM Ravendale Station is located about 45 miles north of Susanville on US Hwy 395.
Besides Helo 553, there are two engines, a BC, and I believe a dozer.

The is also a BLM fire station east of the town of Likely south of Alturas in Modoc County. I do not know if this station is one of the previous mentioned stations in Modoc Co.

Dave

 

[ScannerDude244]

Does anyone know parks service E1160 is from? I notice they been station at the west Pinnacles Soledad side for the past few weeks. They are not a full time 24/7 engine they log on during the day and go off duty around 8 or 9. I know BLM is around the Pinnacles I wonder if its one of their engines.

 

[SCPD]

Does anyone know parks service E1160 is from? I notice they been station at the west Pinnacles Soledad side for the past few weeks. They are not a full time 24/7 engine they log on during the day and go off duty around 8 or 9. I know BLM is around the Pinnacles I wonder if its one of their engines.

If it has a logo on the side of it in the shape of a triangle it would be a BLM engine, if in the shape of an arrowhead it is a National Park Service engine. The number indicates that it is not a BLM engine from California, as the number 3 is always the first digit for BLM engines in this state.

There might be a possibility that it is a NPS engine from Pt. Reyes as the two units share a fire management officer and staff that is stationed at Pt. Reyes. The four digit designator does not sound like an NPS engine. There is one other possibility and that is it being a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service engine as there are several refuges in the Central Valley. But, the number series does not match up to those USFWS I've seen or the pictures of many. The USFWS engines have a logo that has a flat top and a curved bottom.

Color is a factor as well. NPS engines are white with red, horizontal stripes down the sides. BLM engines are yellow. USFWS engines can be yellow, the same color as BLM engines or white with a red stripe similar to the NPS.

If you have been close enough to see the number on the engine you should be able to see at least the outline of the logo on the sides. I won't describe the actual appearance of each logo as just the outline should identify the agency.

If the engine is red then it might be a Cal Fire rig. 1160 would designate a four wheel drive, Type III engine from the Mendocino Unit. At one time the NPS contracted fire protection for Pinnacles to CDF. If that is still the case an engine from another unit may have been pulled in from out of the area. Pinnacles is in the San Benito-Monterey Unit of Cal Fire. Their apparatus has a four digit designator with the first two digits being 46. Your description sounds like it is a Cal Fire engine, but first tell us what color the engine is. If it is anything but red then tell us the outer profile shape of the logo.

**Oops** I see know that you have only heard this engine on your scanner. Pretty tough to see the color and logo on the engine that way. What radio frequency are you hearing them use to log on and off. How does the dispatcher identify? I heard that Pinnacles is dispatched by Sequoia-Kings for law enforcement purposes, but I don't know if that includes all radio communications as well.

 

[ScannerDude244]

If it has a logo on the side of it in the shaped of a triangle it would be a BLM engine, if in the shape of an arrowhead it is a National Park Service engine. The number indicates that it is not a BLM engine from California, as the number 3 is always the first digit for BLM engines in this state.

There might be a possibility that it is a NPS engine from Pt. Reyes as the two units share a fire management officer and staff that is stationed at Pt. Reyes. The four digit designator does not sound like an NPS engine. There is one other possibility and that is it being a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service engine as there are several refuges in the Central Valley. But, the number series does not match up to those USFWS I've seen or the pictures of many. The USFWS engines have a logo that has a flat top and a curved bottom.

Color is a factor as well. NPS engines are white with red, horizontal stripes down the sides. BLM engines are yellow. USFWS engines can be yellow, the same color as BLM engines or white with a red stripe similar to the NPS.

If you have been close enough to see the number on the engine you should be able to see at least the outline of the logo on the sides. I won't describe the actual appearance of each logo as just the outline should identify the agency.

If the engine is red then it might be a Cal Fire rig. 1160 would designate a four wheel drive, Type III engine from the Mendocino Unit. At one time the NPS contracted fire protection for Pinnacles to CDF. If that is still the case an engine from another unit may have been pulled in from out of the area. Pinnacles is in the San Benito-Monterey Unit of Cal Fire. Their apparatus has a four digit designator with the first two digits being 46. Your description sounds like it is a Cal Fire engine, but first tell us what color the engine is. If it is anything but red then tell us the outer profile shape of the logo.

**Oops** I see know that you have only heard this engine on your scanner. Pretty tough to see the color and logo on the engine that way. What radio frequency are you hearing them use to log on and off. How does the dispatcher identify? I heard that Pinnacles is dispatched by Sequoia-Kings for law enforcement purposes, but I don't know if that includes all radio communications as well.

I'm hearing it on BEU Cal Fire goes by Park Service E1160. I got an audio clip of it


https://soundcloud.com/sounddude24/parks-service-e1160

 

[SCPD]

I'm hearing it on BEU Cal Fire goes by Park Service E1160. I got an audio clip of it


https://soundcloud.com/sounddude24/parks-service-e1160

Since the crew signs on with BEU I'm betting it is a Cal Fire engine assigned there under contract from the NPS. CDF runs 24's so this must be an exception. Then again I could be wrong and there is a four digit designator for a NPS engine from an unknown location. Driving over there would be helpful and you are closer than I am. If it is a BLM rig it would be dispatched by "Porterville." If it is a USFWS engine it would be dispatched by "Sierra," referring to the Sierra NF dispatcher in Clovis. If it is a NPS engine the dispatcher would likely ID as "735 Dispatch" or "735 Fox" over at Sequoia-Kings NP. All of this would, of course, not occur on a CDF frequency.

 

[ScannerDude244]

Since the crew signs on with BEU I'm betting it is a Cal Fire engine assigned there under contract from the NPS. CDF runs 24's so this must be an exception. Then again I could be wrong and there is a four digit designator for a NPS engine from an unknown location. Driving over there would be helpful and you are closer than I am. If it is a BLM rig it would be dispatched by "Porterville." If it is a USFWS engine it would be dispatched by "Sierra," referring to the Sierra NF dispatcher in Clovis. If it is a NPS engine the dispatcher would likely ID as "735 Dispatch" or "735 Fox" over at Sequoia-Kings NP. All of this would, of course, not occur on a CDF frequency.

Now you had me thinking it might be staff with a Cal Fire crew , I think it's not. Last week Cal fire had a fire out side the park on the Hollister side and they requested the water tender from the Pinnacles as long as I remember Pinnacles never had any kind of fire apparatus they also have a SAR team which they also never had. I wonder now that the Pinnacles NPS now this might be a new NPS engine company this summner might be a test run.

 

[northzone]

Does anyone know parks service E1160 is from? I notice they been station at the west Pinnacles Soledad side for the past few weeks. They are not a full time 24/7 engine they log on during the day and go off duty around 8 or 9. I know BLM is around the Pinnacles I wonder if its one of their engines.

Engine 1160 is an NPS engine from the Marin Headlands. They keep the engines at a building right above Rodeo Lagoon at Fort Cronkhite. They have a fire management office there with a chief, a battalion, 2 engines (the other is 1176), and a prevention.

They have a VHF radio with the standard Calfire load and they also have their own talkgroup on the Marin county UHF trunked system (64704)`.

 

[scottyhetzel]

Engine colors

If it has a logo on the side of it in the shape of a triangle it would be a BLM engine, if in the shape of an arrowhead it is a National Park Service engine. The number indicates that it is not a BLM engine from California, as the number 3 is always the first digit for BLM engines in this state.

There might be a possibility that it is a NPS engine from Pt. Reyes as the two units share a fire management officer and staff that is stationed at Pt. Reyes. The four digit designator does not sound like an NPS engine. There is one other possibility and that is it being a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service engine as there are several refuges in the Central Valley. But, the number series does not match up to those USFWS I've seen or the pictures of many. The USFWS engines have a logo that has a flat top and a curved bottom.

Color is a factor as well. NPS engines are white with red, horizontal stripes down the sides. BLM engines are yellow. USFWS engines can be yellow, the same color as BLM engines or white with a red stripe similar to the NPS.

If you have been close enough to see the number on the engine you should be able to see at least the outline of the logo on the sides. I won't describe the actual appearance of each logo as just the outline should identify the agency.

If the engine is red then it might be a Cal Fire rig. 1160 would designate a four wheel drive, Type III engine from the Mendocino Unit. At one time the NPS contracted fire protection for Pinnacles to CDF. If that is still the case an engine from another unit may have been pulled in from out of the area. Pinnacles is in the San Benito-Monterey Unit of Cal Fire. Their apparatus has a four digit designator with the first two digits being 46. Your description sounds like it is a Cal Fire engine, but first tell us what color the engine is. If it is anything but red then tell us the outer profile shape of the logo.

**Oops** I see know that you have only heard this engine on your scanner. Pretty tough to see the color and logo on the engine that way. What radio frequency are you hearing them use to log on and off. How does the dispatcher identify? I heard that Pinnacles is dispatched by Sequoia-Kings for law enforcement purposes, but I don't know if that includes all radio communications as well.

Can anyone locate the logos or point me to a web site ? I would like to see the different logos. Great info. Again smokey ! It's amazing the over lap and the factors involved on jurisdictions. Extremely confusing....

 

[SCPD]

Can anyone locate the logos or point me to a web site ? I would like to see the different logos. Great info. Again smokey ! It's amazing the over lap and the factors involved on jurisdictions. Extremely confusing....

I can understand how overwhelming it can be. It took me a few years to get much of it straight, but majoring in forestry in college helped. The various natural resource, fire management and environmental agencies of all levels of government are studied due, in some part, to needed to know where employment opportunities might be. I'm a bit of a civics nerd, so I've had an interest in government agencies, utility companies and many corporations since the 7th grade. I like to figure out the working parts and get them straight in my head. I wasn't unusual as almost everyone in my forestry class as well as my co workers in the Forest Service were pretty up on this stuff. Since many of us worked in more than one state in our careers we had a chance to observe and work with a lot of state agencies requiring that we understand the similarities and differences of many states. I found employees of the federal natural resource agencies be very knowledgeable in geography.

Anyway, rather than point you to websites I will post pictures from my files pictures of engines from each federal land management agency.

I will start out with a picture of the logos of the 5 federal agencies that manage wildland fire.

View attachment 42023

From the left there is an agency logo I can't read, it is of a state agency. Moving right there is the logo of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The BIA has jurisdiction on Indian Reservations, Tribal Nations and Indian Trust Territory. The next logo is in the shape of an arrowhead and it that of the National Park Service (NPS). The NPS manages over 400 individual units, including the 59 national parks for a total of roughly 84 million acres. One logo right of the NPS logo is that of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which is in the shape of a triangle with a mountain, river, grassland and tree on it. The BLM manages the most land of any federal agency, around 245 million acres. All but 58,000 acres of it is located west of the Mississippi, with almost all of those lands located in the 11 western states. The next logo is that of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Its logo is flat on the top and sides, with a circular bottom and a fish jumping and bird flying on it. his agency has land management jurisdiction on the National Wildlife Refuge System consisting of 548 refuges and 95 million acres. The USFWS holds the distinction of having the fewest numbers of employees per acre of all the agencies listed here. The last federal agency logo is that of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The USFS manages 155 National Forests and 20 National Grasslands consisting of 192 million acres. The USFS, part of the Department of Agriculture is the only one of the five agencies not in the Department of the Interior.

None of these agencies should be confused with similar state agencies such as California State Parks, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, CDF, etc. With the exception of the BIA all these agencies manage National Monuments, with the most well known of those managed by the National Park Service. The NPS, BLM and USFS also manage National Recreation areas on their respective lands. With the exception of the BIA all manage portions of the National Wilderness Preservation System on their respective lands. I won't go into any more detail and will let you search wikipedia for any more information. I've given you all the keywords if you wish to read further.

Next, engines of each agency.

**EDIT** Not mentioned, because they don't have wildland fire management programs, is the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Both have jurisdiction over federal water projects and the lands adjacent to or surrounding reservoirs they operate and maintain. In large number of cases BOR land is now in the jurisdiction of the NPS and USFS and designated as National Recreation Areas. The USACE doesn't have the presence in the west that the BOR does, and that is reversed in the east. I believe the far left logo might be that of the BOR, but I can't see it well enough to verify that.