Fire Program

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     Fire Operations with Helecopters

The main mission of the Fire Program of the Palm Springs - South Coast Field Office is to protect life, property and natural resources (in that order) from wildland fire. Our office has primary responsibility for protecting 1.7 million acres of land from wildfire. Most desert ecosystems do not tolerate the impacts from wildland fires very well so it is important to respond quickly when they occur. High value areas that need special protection include wildland urban interface communities, endangered species habitat, archaeological sites and unique plant communities (native palm stands and dry woodland washes). The acreage is spread over 9.5 million acres in five geographic segments of southern California.

Our Fire staff consists of 10 full-time firefighters. Besides our fire staff, other employees of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) support the fire program in many ways, from providing necessary administrative support to firefighting.

The Palm Springs - South Coast Field Office works cooperatively with many other federal, state and county agencies and fire departments. Besides providing immediate assistance on fires in San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles counties, BLM firefighters and equipment are dispatched throughout the United States, wherever and whenever assistance is needed to fight wildland fires.

Fire staff includes

1. Fire Management Officer and Fire Mitigation Education Specialist (located in San Diego)

2. Fire Mitigation and Education Specialists (one covers San Diego and Imperial County; one covers Riverside, Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties).

3. Fire Captains (Black Rock, Pinyon and the South Coast Fuels Crew)

The Palm Springs - South Coast Field Office operates 3 fire facilities, year around. Seasonals are hired to augment the fire crews from mid-April through the end of September each year. (Most wildfires occur during July and August, when lightning activity and use of the public lands are highest.) Our fire stations are at Pinyon, Riverside County Station 30 in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, and at the Black Rock Interagency Fire Center in Joshua Tree National Park. The South Coast Fuels Crew is stationed at the Norton Air Tanker Base in San Bernardino county.

Uncontrolled fires can be destructive; however wildland fires are also a fundamental part of natural ecosystems. Without fire, the health of some vegetative types would be jeopardized. For this reason, occasional "prescribed burns" are carefully planned and conducted by BLM fire specialists to benefit specific areas. Prescribed fires can improve habitat for wildlife and domestic livestock, help trees and other vegetation regenerate, and prevent the accumulation of excess vegetation that may fuel wildland fires.

Two-thirds of the fires on the public lands are caused by people. To help prevent fires, the Palm Springs - South Coast Field Office has an active outreach program to teach people about the hazards of wildland fires. We join with the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies to present various fire prevention messages, including the Smoky Bear program.

Bureau of Land Management
Palm Springs South Coast Field Office
690 W. Garnet Ave., P.O. Box 581260
North Palm Springs, CA 92258-1260
Phone: (760) 251-4800
Fax: (760) 251-4899
Contact us by Email