United States Forest Service

[Monrovia1]

Los Padres Engine 41.

[Monrovia1]

Los Padres NF Strike Team.

[chcmedic93]

I've noticed some CNF/BDF engines change from 2 digit numbers to 300 series numbers (i.e. Engine 26 changed to Engine 326). Any idea what that indicates?

[Aaronw]

I haven't seen that yet, so this is just a guess, but maybe a pilot program for a new numbering system. There has been a big push for uniform standards across the agency in the past 2-3 years (whistling in the dark in my opinion, but it keeps the GS-15s in DC busy).





Numbering has changed over the years and does vary between regions. In California the USFS has used a 2 digit identifier since the mid 90s. The first digit is the district, the second number the unit (typically station, but multiple company stations can mess that up, also numbers are skipped sometimes to avoid confusion between similar sounding numbers). Off forest, the forest name is added to the radio identifier (Tahoe engine 31, Sierra engine 12 etc).



Until the mid 90s there was more leeway and some forests were using a 3 digit identifier to account for the multiple company stations. The 3 digit system showed district, station and unit (in the station). The San Bernardino NF does have several multi-engine stations so perhaps they pushed to go back to the earlier system.



It is also possible they are adopting a system used in some other regions that shows the ICS type of engine with the first digit, 326 would be a type 3 engine from district 2 and is the 6th unit on the district. The 4 southern forests (Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino) are frequently involved in pilot programs for things like that.



Again just a guess.

[Guest]

Mendocino Hotshots - MNF C12A, MNF C12B

Ft. Bliss 2 Fire

Las Cruces, New Mexico

June 2010

[Aaronw]

As part of an effort to unify Federal resources some of the Forests in R1 and R4 have bought engines based on the Bureau of Land Management great basin spec. Idaho Panhandle National Forest.



85gpm aux pump, 850 gallon tank



Photo by Aaron Woods

[Aaronw]

Sierra National Forest 1940 International



Credit Sierra National Forest archives

[Aaronw]

Huron Manistee National Forest, 200 gallon John Bean pumper



Credit Huron Manistee National Forest archives

[Aaronw]

Sierra National Forest Model 61, 1991 Boise Mobile Equipment / IH. This was one of the first batch of engines that got BME going, since then they have been one of the major suppliers of engines for the USFS.



Yosemite National Park got 3 identical engines the same year painted in the NPS white / red.



Photo by Aaron Woods

[Aaronw]

Sierra National Forest Model 61, Phenix / Chevrolet.



Photo by Aaron Woods

[Aaronw]

Sierra National Forest Model 61, Ford F800



Photo by Aaron Woods

[Aaronw]

Sierra National Forest Model 61, Chevrolet Kodiak



Photo by Aaron Woods

[Monrovia1]

Angeles Engine 311.

[Monrovia1]

Angeles Engine 13.

[Aaronw]

Chequamegon National Forest trailer pumper



Credit Chequamegon National Forest archives

[Aaronw]

Cleveland National Forest tanker truck



Shop built tankers like this were common in the 1930s and 40s



Credit Cleveland National Forest archives

[Aaronw]

Los Padres National Forest Model 62A, 1996 Boise Mobile Equipment / Ford F800



400 gpm pto pump, 500 gallon tank



Photo by Aaron Woods

[Aaronw]

Model 62A 4x4, Ford with Marmon Herrington 4x4 conversion



Photo by Aaron Woods

[Aaronw]

Stanislas National Forest Unimog engine



Occasionally the USFS will try something completely different. Following the Bureau of Land Management's success with Unimogs in Nevada the Stanislaus purchased one. It can be equipped with a blade allowing it to be used like a small dozer.



85 gpm aux pump, unknown tank (guessing 400-500 gallon by eyeball)



Photo by Aaron Woods

[Monrovia1]

Los Padres NF Engine 52.