CAL FIRE - Office of the State Fire Marshal News

The National Volunteer Fire Council held its inaugural Regional Wildland Symposium on March 17-18 in Box Elder, SD (just outside Rapid City). This new conference featured breakout sessions, panel discussions, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities focused on issues relating to wildland fire response and mitigation in the Plains region. Seventy-five first responders from 24 states gathered for two days of training, education, and idea-sharing. Eighteen of the attendees received a travel...

California will become the first state in the nation to require insurance premium discounts for owners of homes and businesses that are made safer from wildfires. The new rules mandate that insurance companies reward consumers who take wildfire safety and mitigation actions under the state’s Safer From Wildfires framework, the Department of Insurance announced Monday. The framework includes a list of expert-recommended actions that home and business owners can take to better protect thems...

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), in partnership with Pierce Manufacturing Inc., announced the 2022 IAFC Fire Chief of the Year honorees. Volunteer Fire Chief, Marshall Turbeville, of the Northern Sonoma FPD in Sonoma County, California, and career Fire Chief, Gary Ludwig, of the Champaign Fire Department in Champaign, Illinois, have been named this year’s honorees. The IAFC began recognizing one volunteer and one career Fire Chief of the Year in 1996. A selection commi...

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) announces details regarding a peat fire that has been burning since May 28 in the waterfront areas of Bay Point and Pittsburg. The original fire began in the early afternoon of May 28 in a homeless encampment near Suisun and Solano Avenues in Bay Point that burned to approximately 200 acres. The homeless encampment was completely consumed by the fire. No injuries were reported. The May 28 fire occurred in a largely inaccessible area wit...

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) announces receipt of a $3 million California Climate Investments Wildfire Prevention grant from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The grant is for the creation of a shaded fuel break across southern Lafayette and Walnut Creek, that will, when completed in 2024, afford significant protection from wildfires for residents in the communities of Rossmoor and southern Lafayette. Affording significant protecti...

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire), the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services, and the City of Walnut Creek announces the successful conduct of a historic, first-time evacuation exercise in the Walnut Creek community of Rossmoor on Sunday, May 15. The exercise was designed to evaluate and improve evacuation procedures for residents of the Rossmoor community and test the County’s new Zonehaven digital evacuation tool for first responders. At...

California wildfires are becoming more devastating and destructive as we face fire season year-round.  "In California, it's all about wildfires these days. And the reason is that we've had droughts," explained James Gore, the chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. "Those droughts have exacerbated things." early detection and prevention "There's no 'fire season' anymore," said CAL FIRE firefighter Camille Edward. "Sometimes it does take a toll. You're away from your families, es...

Since 1997, San Bernardino International Airport (SBD) has been home to the U.S. Forest Service Airtanker base which serves as the backbone of aerial firefighting in Southern California. The Airport's operational support is more critical than ever. Wildfire activity has increased significantly in recent years and could continue to worsen, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). Fighting these blazes takes a cooperative effort, and peak operations will...

Wildland firefighters are exposed to many of the same naturally occurring respiratory hazards as structural firefighters. They are also exposed to many of the same man-made respiratory hazards, especially when fighting fires in or near the wildland-urban interface. However, unlike structural firefighters, wildland firefighters are unable to use the current standard respirator systems. They are heavy and bulky, taking up valuable carrying capacity needed for the tools and supplies required for w...

As California continues to recover from the historic 2020 fire season, and faces continued severe fire threat and extreme drought conditions in 2021, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) is deploying new resources to protect California communities and augment the state’s fire and rescue mutual aid system. Currently, Cal OES transferred nine new Type VI engines and one Type III engine to local fire jurisdictions as part of the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid Sy...

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) and Rodeo-Hercules Fire announced they will conduct wildland fire “burn” training in Rodeo in conjunction with Phillips 66, Cal Fire and other agencies during morning hours beginning May 16th, 2021. Training will continue between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day thereafter from May 16 to May 27, 2021. Phillips 66 personnel, along with other fire agencies, will participate in the training which will take place in Rodeo in the large op...

In the dry heat of the high desert, the California and Nevada Air National Guard, the U.S. Forest Service, CAL FIRE, and multiple other fire-fighting agencies across the United States are performing their annual certification training for the aerial fire-fighting mission with MAFFS (Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System), from May 4 – May 7, 2021. The success of this training is built on the trusted partnerships between the fire-fighting agencies, having forged their tactical expertise su...

Australian bush fire has stunned the world. Nature is at its full fury and we humans are to be blamed for it. The flashes have been burning across Australia for months. Nearly 18 million acres of land mostly bush-land, forests, and national parks that are home to the country's native wildlife have been turned into ashes. The two crucial factors behind these disastrous fires are the prolonged dry spell that dried up the forest cover and converted the green reserve into ample fuel for fire to gro...

CAL FIRE OSFM Fire and Life Safety Division (CAL FIRE - Office of the State Fire Marshal) is launching an electronic permit system (GOVmotus Fire) that will enable clients and stakeholders to more effectively participate in the permitting process. Individuals will need to register with GOVmotus Fire to submit future permit applications. The link to register will soon be posted on the CAL FIRE OSFM website. GOVmotus Fire online system GOVmotus Fire online system is customer-service focused. Th...

Over one million gallons of fire retardant have been dropped this fire season by military aerial firefighting units such as the ‘High Rollers’ of the Nevada Air National Guard and the support continues. “It’s very rewarding knowing you are helping so many people,” said Tech. Sgt. Paul Teska, a MAFFS flight engineer with the 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard. Teska is also a former wildland firefighter. Fire Fighting Systems “I remember being on...

A structure fire was reported at the Golden Bear Lodge on Big Bear Boulevard in Big Bear Lake at approximately 2:02 a.m., on Saturday, August 8, 2020. Upon arrival, fire crews observed a two-story structure to be fully involved.  Amidst firefighting efforts to the first structure, crews noticed the structure next door showing heat damage and small flames. Fire suppression activity All occupants of the cabins were evacuated prior to arrival. Big Bear Fire Department units commenced fire...

California and Nevada Air National Guards brought out their heavy assets June 15-19, 2020, in preparation for each state’s biggest annual enemies i.e. wildfires. wildland firefighting training A slew of C-130 Hercules aircraft from both western states filled the skies above Tahoe National Forest in Forest Hill, California, during U.S. Department of Agriculture Forestry Service-sponsored wildland firefighting training. With multiple state and federal organizations participating, the Cal...

As the COVID-19 emergency continues to evolve, fire departments and fire protection contractors must ensure fire prevention and life safety systems and equipment are in working order at all times. These fire and life systems and products are essential functions in safeguarding the public, businesses, and institutions. CAL FIRE - OSFM regulations The CAL FIRE - Office of the State Fire Marshal (CAL FIRE - OSFM) regulations continue to be in effect and relevant deadlines apply. The California Fi...

As the global effect of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, the CAL FIRE - Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is closing most of their public counters statewide, effective immediately. utilizing program specific processes During this unprecedented time, no State Fire Training applications (i.e. certification, instructor registration) or Fire Engineering and Investigation applications (i.e. licenses application and renewals) will be accepted in person. Fire and Life Safe...

Health and Safety Code mandates the CAL FIRE - Office of the State Fire Marshal (CAL FIRE - OSFM) responsibility for the destruction of dangerous and illegal fireworks, once they are seized by local fire departments or law enforcement agencies. The Office and the Administration are working with the legislature on a solution that would provide funding for fireworks enforcement, education, and disposal. The CAL FIRE - OSFM will provide updated information, once the proposal is chaptered into law...

As the Office completes its review of applications submitted under the “Implementation Period”, the approved applicants will soon receive their Certification Cards with a July 2018-June 2019 validation sticker. The fee paid during the implementation period covered the processing of the application and the first-year certification.  These individuals will be required to renew their certifications by May 1, 2019, and yearly after that, as stated in Title 19, California Code of Re...