With the ongoing tragic and deadly wildfires in and around Ruidoso, New Mexico, it seemed useful to identify the locations of those wildfire fighting crews who are among the first (along with smokejumpers) to brave the dangerous conditions and battle the flames – our nation’s elite Hot Shot crews.
Source: kyle miller via fs.usda.gov
“Hotshot crews originated on the Cleveland and Angeles National Forests in Southern California in the late 1940s. They were called “Hotshot” crews because they worked on a wildfires’ hottest areas of wildfires.”
SOURCE: fs.usda.gov
Created with mygoogle.maps.com
- Red – cities with two bases locations
- Orange – cities with one base location
[Hot Shot crews are] “a team of 20-22 elite wildland firefighters that mainly respond to large, high-priority fires across the country and abroad. They are assigned to work the most challenging parts of the fire and are considered strategic and tactical wildland fire experts.”
Source: en.wikipedia.org
We a huge debt of gratitude to our Hot Shot Crews, the Smokejumpers, and all of those who serve our country by fighting wildfires. They risk their lives to protect us; our communities; as well as our nation’s wildlife, forests, and other natural resources. Peace!
Above is a map and below a list of the Hot Shot crew base locations around the country:
ALASKA
Fort Wainwright (2)
Palmer
ARIZONA
Flagstaff (2)
Globe
Happy Jack
Mesa
Overgaard
Payson
Prescott
San Carlos
Tucson
Whiteriver
CALIFORNIA
Arroyo Grande
Bakersfield
Beckwourth
Berry Creek
Bishop
Caliente
Camino
Camp Rodgers
Camptonville
Canby
Descanso
El Cajon
Fawnskin
Foresthill
Fort Jones
Gasquet
Glendora
Glennville
Groveland
Idyllwild
Kings Canyon
Klamath River
Mad River
Mentone
Miramonte
North Fork
Oakhurst
Platina
Quincy
Ramona
Redding (2)
San Bernardino
San Fernando
Sanger
Santa Barbara
Santa Clarita
Saugus
Salyer
Sonora
South Lake Tahoe
Springville
Stonyford
Susanville (2)
Truckee
Upper Lake
Valyermo
COLORADO
Craig
Durango
Estes Park
Fort Collins
Monument
IDAHO
Garden Valley
Idaho City
Jerome
Pocatello
ILLINOIS
Wilmington
MISSISSIPPI
Flowood
MONTANA
Browning
Darby
Great Falls
Helena
Hungry Horse
Missoula
NEVADA
Carson City (2)
Elko
NEW MEXICO
Cloudcroft
Gallup
Grants
Reserve
Ruidoso
Santa Fe
Silver City
Taos
Zuni
NORTH CAROLINA
Asheville
OREGON
Klamath Falls (2)
La Grande (2)
Prineville
Prospect
Redmond
Roseburg
Vale
Warm Springs
Zigzag
SOUTH DAKOTA
Custer
Hot Shot Base entry sign in Custer, SD
TENNESSEE
Unicoi
UTAH
Cedar City
Draper (2)
Logan
West Valley City
VIRGINIA
Harrisonburg
WASHINGTON
Entiat
Sedro-Woolley
WYOMING
Greybull
SOURCE:
https://panethos.wordpress.com/2024/06/21/geography-of-hot-shot-wildfire-crew-bases/
#bases #climateChange #crews #environment #fire #firefighters #forests #geography #history #HotShots #landUse #news #planning #smokejumpers #transportation #travel #wildfire