Bureau of Land Management begins construction on new wildland fire station
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BOISE, Idaho – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has begun construction of a new wildland fire station located about 1.5 miles southwest of Bruneau. The new Bruneau Guard Station will replace the nearby existing station, which is being decommissioned after 37 years due to outdated facilities requiring extensive maintenance.
"This fire station will keep our crews and equipment strategically located close to potential wildfires and improve our firefighting effectiveness,” said BLM Boise District Fire Management Officer Russ Babiak. “It will also have our personnel living among the communities who face the risk of wildfires and allow us to build stronger relationships with the public we serve.”
Work will be done in two phases. Phase one began earlier this month and includes construction of new crew living quarters and site development for the fire station. Phase two will be the building of the station itself and is expected to begin later this year. All facilities will be complete by June 2022.
The finished station will have a much-needed larger engine bay, upgraded workshop, training room and adequate parking for heavy equipment, including dozers and water tenders. Crew quarters capacity will be increased for up to 10 firefighters; the living quarters will be detached from the fire station following national guidance to promote work-life separation.
"Building this new station enhances the BLM’s mission to protect life, property and natural resources from the threat of wildland fire and shows our commitment to providing professional wildfire response to the local area,” said BLM acting Bruneau Field Manager T.J. Clifford.
Phase one construction work is being done by C-2 Construction Inc. based out of Mountain Home.
Attached:
2 Photos of the future Bruneau Guard Station construction site
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The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.