I started one of these several years ago, but it looks like it petered out and was lost in one of the periodic file purges.
The United States Forest Service was founded in 1905, and currently protects 193 million acres of public forest and grassland. It is divided into 9 regions numbered 1-10 (Region 7 was eliminated in 1965 and its forests added to Regions 8 & 9). The regions have a fair amount of autonomy and tend to develop their own style of apparatus based on budgets, fire occurance, water availablity and fuel type.
Regions tend to follow geography and fuel types and do not strictly follow state lines, so some states are in more than one region. Each region manages 15-20 National Forests / Grasslands.
Region 1 - Northern region Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota
Region 2 - Rocky Mountain region Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas
Region 3 - Southwest region Arizona, New Mexico, Texas
Region 4 - Intermountain region Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming
Region 5 - Pacific Southwest California, Hawaii / Pacific islands
Region 6 - Pacific Northwest Oregon, Washington
Region 7 - Was the Eastern region, eliminated in 1965
Region 8 - Southern region Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Puerto Rico
Region 9 - Eastern region (Lake States Region until 1965) Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusettes, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine
Region 10 - Alaska region Alaska
Traditionally Regions 3,5 and 6 have the most active fire seasons and the largest fire organizations.
Regions 1 and 2 have smaller organizations, due to the remoteness and rugged terrain there is a large reliance on aircraft (air tankers, helicopters and smokejumpers).
Regions 8 and 9 are smaller younger forests close to populated areas. Most of these forests were created through the Weeks act of 1911 and are reclaimed land heavily cut over and developed by the end of the 19th century. The fire organizations in these regions are small. Unlike the other regions that have developed their own apparatus these two regions tend to buy "off the shelf", mostly small slip on pumper units.
Region 10 is Alaska which has its own unique issues. Fire engines are rare, firefighting is mostly done by crews who are transported by boats, and aircraft.
This is a subject close to me so I'm happy to try and answer any questions. I have a lot of photos so I'll be dribbling these out a few at a time. I hope to see others add some of their own.
I'll start with one of the earliest known pieces of USFS fire apparatus. In 1915 the Sierra National put a 1915 Model T speeder in service to patrol the logging railroads in the mountains east of Fresno.
Credit Sierra National Forest Archives
The United States Forest Service was founded in 1905, and currently protects 193 million acres of public forest and grassland. It is divided into 9 regions numbered 1-10 (Region 7 was eliminated in 1965 and its forests added to Regions 8 & 9). The regions have a fair amount of autonomy and tend to develop their own style of apparatus based on budgets, fire occurance, water availablity and fuel type.
Regions tend to follow geography and fuel types and do not strictly follow state lines, so some states are in more than one region. Each region manages 15-20 National Forests / Grasslands.
Region 1 - Northern region Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota
Region 2 - Rocky Mountain region Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas
Region 3 - Southwest region Arizona, New Mexico, Texas
Region 4 - Intermountain region Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming
Region 5 - Pacific Southwest California, Hawaii / Pacific islands
Region 6 - Pacific Northwest Oregon, Washington
Region 7 - Was the Eastern region, eliminated in 1965
Region 8 - Southern region Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Puerto Rico
Region 9 - Eastern region (Lake States Region until 1965) Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusettes, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine
Region 10 - Alaska region Alaska
Traditionally Regions 3,5 and 6 have the most active fire seasons and the largest fire organizations.
Regions 1 and 2 have smaller organizations, due to the remoteness and rugged terrain there is a large reliance on aircraft (air tankers, helicopters and smokejumpers).
Regions 8 and 9 are smaller younger forests close to populated areas. Most of these forests were created through the Weeks act of 1911 and are reclaimed land heavily cut over and developed by the end of the 19th century. The fire organizations in these regions are small. Unlike the other regions that have developed their own apparatus these two regions tend to buy "off the shelf", mostly small slip on pumper units.
Region 10 is Alaska which has its own unique issues. Fire engines are rare, firefighting is mostly done by crews who are transported by boats, and aircraft.
This is a subject close to me so I'm happy to try and answer any questions. I have a lot of photos so I'll be dribbling these out a few at a time. I hope to see others add some of their own.
I'll start with one of the earliest known pieces of USFS fire apparatus. In 1915 the Sierra National put a 1915 Model T speeder in service to patrol the logging railroads in the mountains east of Fresno.
Credit Sierra National Forest Archives
Aaron Woods
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