Skip to main content

Resources

The Shasta-Trinity National Forest has a robust and dynamic Fire, Fuels, and Aviation Management (FAM) organization. Our Forest is host to a wide variety of fire suppression, prevention, detection, aviation and dispatch resources and personnel.

Image
Fire Planning

Our fleet of 20 engines, 2 hotshot crews, 2 dozers, 1 Type-II helicopter, 3 water tenders, 13 fire prevention patrol units, 6 fire lookouts, 1 dispatch center and 1 airtanker base provide initial response to new incidents. Additional federal and cooperator resources supplement any incidents that may extend after initial response. Forest resources strive to meet the mission "to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations."

The California Air National Guard maintains a fleet of C-130 aircraft equipped with the “Modular Airborne Firefighting System” (MAFFS) that can be called into action if needed. The Forest Service Redding Air Attack Base supports MAFFS and other air resources, including cooperating air tankers, air attack planes and a fire retardant operation which supports all incidents in Northern California. Placement of federal air tankers is determined through a national protocol that considers current and predicted fire activity and values at risk.

Shasta-Trinity NF fire personnel are part of a much larger group of cooperators which combine and share resources to accomplish fire suppression on Forest Service and private lands. In the summer, during the height of wildfire season, there are about 375 employees working in fire management. During the winter, the fire organization continues to support national emergency response as well as fuels management and other Forest Service programs, such as silviculture.

In order to quickly mobilize for emergency incidents, yearly planning is done between cooperating agencies. Areas are mapped and primary and secondary responsibilities are assigned to individual units. Incident management teams are organized and trained in advance of emergencies so the coordinated response runs smoothly throughout the incident. Forest Service teams have been dispatched to help with national all-hazard emergencies, such as the World Trade Center, the Pentagon disaster, and Hurricane Maria.

Acting Chief – Alex McBath
Deputy Chief 2 (Operations) – Alex McBath
Deputy Chief 3 (Fuels) – Daniel Ostmann

 

Forest Resources (Listed South to North)

Resources: Learn More

Last updated April 15th, 2025