All-Hazard Response
CAL FIRE answers thousands of non-fire emergency calls each year.
2023 Storm Response
This winter, CAL FIRE has been busy across the state preparing for and responding to weather-related incidents. This is an example of how we partner with counties to assist in removing downed trees and clearing roadways, creating safer areas for the public. Within five days during January, crews removed more than 100 trees from Sacramento County roadways.
Emergency Management
CAL FIRE’s organizational culture is built upon a total force concept, in which every employee in the Department, regardless of assigned role, plays an integral part in emergency response, public safety, resource management, watershed protection, and meeting the Department’s mission and goals. We work within the well-established Incident Command System (ICS) framework and manage any disaster event through four phases: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery.
Incident Command Response
As a leader in major incident command response, CAL FIRE is often asked to assist or take the lead in other major disasters, including the 2003 and 2007 Southern California fire sieges; the N1H1 pandemic in 2009; the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion; the 2017 Oroville Dam disaster; the 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County; the fire siege and COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020; and the winter storms of 2023. CAL FIRE is a leader in disaster response emergencies and is ready to answer the call.