Resources
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.