Fire Management

The Inyo National Forest and BLM-Bishop Field Office have an Interagency Fire Organization stretching from the southern Sierra near Ridgecrest to Topaz Lake on the Nevada border, and from the crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the White Mountains of California and Nevada.

We work together to manage the wildfires in this area, keep the public safe and natural resources protected. Using a combination of tactics including fire suppression, fire prevention and fuels management, we can enhance the protection of forest resources, homes and adjacent wildlands.

Our "National Resources" could be sent to a fire or other emergency anywhere in the United States or around the world:

8 fire stations with 9 engines
7 fire prevention patrol units
2 water tenders
One 10-person hand crew
One 20-person hotshot crew
Air tanker reload base
Helitack base

From north to south, our fire stations are:

Topaz Station

Located just south of the California/Nevada border on US Highway 395, this station outfits one Type 3 wildland engine (BLM) with a five-person crew. This engine works closely with fire resources from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Bridgeport and Carson Ranger Districts.

Mono Basin Station

Located just north of Mono Lake on Lundy Canyon Road, the Mono Basin Station is home to two Type 3 wildland engines, one BLM and one Forest Service.

Lee Vining Ranger Station

In the town of Lee Vining, the ranger station hosts two fire prevention patrol units, a District Fire Management Officer and an Assistant District Fire Management Officer.

Gull Lake Station

Located on the shores of Gull Lake along the June Lake Loop (US Highway 158), this station is home to a Type 3 wildland engine.

Crestview Station

Located on Deadman Creek Road, this station is home to one Type 3 wildland engine and one 10-person hand crew specializing in monitoring fires managed for resource benefit.

Mammoth Station

Located on Highway 203 in the Town of Mammoth Lakes, this station hosts one Type 3 wildland engine, one 1500-gallon water tender, two fire prevention patrol units, a District Fire Management Officer and an Assistant District Fire Management Officer, all from the FS.

Rock Creek Guard Station

Located on Rock Creek Canyon Road, near Tom's Place, this station is home to one Type 3 wildland engine from the FS.

White Mountain Ranger Station

Located in Bishop, this station has one Type 3 wildland engine, two fire prevention patrol units, one 20-person hotshot crew (the Inyo Hotshots), a District Fire Management Officer and an Assistant District Fire Management Officer, all from the Forest Service. In the summer, a BLM fire prevention unit also works out of this station.

Also located in Bishop are various "Fire Overhead" personnel: fire planners, Forest Fire Management Officers, Interagency Mitigation/Education Specialist, and more. These employees are a mixture of Forest Service and BLM, and manage the overall direction of the interagency fire program for the area.

Bishop Air Tanker Reload Base

At the Eastern Sierra Regional Airport is the Bishop Air Tanker Base, capable of reloading nearly all air tankers in service today, except for the Very Large Air Tankers (VLATs) such as the DC-10 and 747. The tanker base is operated on an as-needed basis, but also hosts a Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) during the summer.

Independence Helitack Base

The home to Helicopter 525, a Type 3 ship, the helitack base is located at the north end of Independence. A national resource, the helicopter and crew are often on assignments across the country.

Mount Whitney Ranger Station

Located in Lone Pine, this fire station is home to a Type 3 wildland engine, a fire prevention patrol unit, a District Fire Management Officer and an Assistant.

Features

Being Ready—Wildfire Preparedness

It takes the combination of both Defensible space and the hardening of your home to really give your house the best chance of surviving a wildfire.

View Feature

One Less Spark—One Less Wildfire

Whether it's ensuring a campfire or landscape debris burn of leaves and branches is completely extinguished, or keeping a vehicle well maintained to prevent sparks, following just a few simple steps can help prevent wildfires.