Bureau of Land Management

The BLM, a leader in wildland fire management, conducts a broad range of actions to protect the public, natural landscapes, wildlife habitat, recreational areas, and other values and resources. The agency’s national fire and aviation program, BLM Fire, which focuses on public safety as its top priority, consists of fire suppression, preparedness, predictive services, vegetative fuels management, community assistance and protection, and fire prevention through education. To meet its wildland fire-related challenges, the BLM fields highly trained professional firefighters and managers who are committed to managing fire in the most effective and efficient manner. 

As the largest and most complex fire program within the Department of the Interior, BLM Fire is directly responsible for fire management on more than 245 million acres. This land is commonly intermixed with other federal, state, and local jurisdictions, making partnerships and collaborative efforts crucial to the mission of safety and fire management. Overall, BLM Fire implements fire protection on approximately 650 million acres of public land with other fire management agencies. 

BLM Fire, located at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, manages program budget at a national scale, sets policy and program standards, and works closely with the DOI’s Office of Wildland Fire, DOI sister agencies, the USDA Forest Service, state and other organizations.

Check out our most recent video about our helitack crews! Learn more by downloading this BLM Fire brochure and suppression resources infographic. You can also listen to our Wildfire Matters podcasts

We are BLM Fire: Helitack Crews

Fire Restrictions

Check out the fire restrictions across the BLM. It's important to #KnowBeforeYouGo and #RecreateResponsibly while enjoying your public lands.

BLM Fire Facebook

Next up on our #WomeninWildfire spotlight is Pam McDonald, BLM Fire Writer and Editor at the National Interagency Fire Center! What positions have you held while working for the government, both fire and non-fire? My career ... started in 1984 working for the Bureau of Land Management - Idaho Shoshone/South-Central District (now Twin Falls District) as a seasonal timekeeper, dispatcher, fire information officer, and assistant center manager. From 2000, I have worked for the BLM Fire Training program as a staff assistant, editorial assistant and now as the writer/editor. In addition to my daily duties, I have been part of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group Leadership Committee since 2001 where I have been a mentor and advisor as a logistics coordinator, leadership in cinema coordinator, professional reading program coordinator, and the wildland fire leadership campaign coordinator. Why do you like working in the fire program? Working in wildland fire fulfills my desire to serve others. Giving back to the organization and wildland fire professionals who gave so much to me is an honor and a privilege. What advice do you have for women interested in a career in wildland fire and/or a support role in fire program? Working in wildland fire is addicting and fulfilling. Find a position that complements your values and adds to your well-being. Develop a growth mindset and never stop learning or leading. What are some of your hobbies outside of work? Crafting, especially no-sew ornaments and building relationships, (volunteering and spending time with friends and family (not really a hobby 😊). Thank you, Pam for your continued mentorship to the wildland fire community! #NotYourOrdinaryJob #WeAreBLMFire #WomensHistoryMonth
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What is a Remote Automatic Weather Station or RAWS? RAWS are self-contained, portable, and permanent, solar powered weather stations that provide timely local weather data used primarily in wildland fire management. The data ... provided from RAWS consists of rain accumulation, 10-minute average wind speed, 10-minute average wind direction, hourly wind speed gusts and associated wind direction, air temperature, relative humidity, fuel moisture, fuel temperature, and solar radiation. This information is critical to predicting fire behavior, which is imperative to effective fire management of all kinds (suppression, prescribed burning, AMR, etc.) There are around 2,300 RAWS units permanently and strategically placed throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. With an additional 614 portable RAWS that are also in the network and are operated at temporary locations as required, totaling 2,910 RAWS units! The Bureau of Land Management Remote Sensing/Fire Weather Support Unit maintains 2,263 RAWS units annually. Fun fact: RAWS attracts animals and birds. They have been used by birds and geckos for nesting, chewed on by bear and cattle, and deer and elk utilize the GOES antenna to rub off antler velvet. You can track data from RAWS stations using the WXx Weather system (weather.nifc.gov). #NotYourOrdinaryJob #ItTakesAllOfUs Photos from the BLM RAWS Unit.
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Here is a #FireJob opportunity with the Bureau of Land Management - Utah Fire program working in fuels management. The individuals will be participating in the planning, implementing and coordination of all aspects of the ... #prescribedfire and fuels management program. Sound challenging? Apply TODAY! 📈 GS-0456-09 🗺️ Salt Lake City, UT. 💵 $59,966 - $77,955 per year 📝 Apply on USAJOBS by the Mar. 18 deadline 👉 https://www.usajobs.gov/job/769082800 #NotYourOrdinaryJob #WeAreBLM Fire Photo from BLM Utah.
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Looking for a job that's physically and mentally challenging, gets you outdoors, provides travel opportunities, delivers occasional adrenaline spikes, and gives back to your community? Check out U.S. Department of the ... Interior’s upcoming wildland fire career fair: https://ow.ly/oV0i50QTIaG #WeAreBLMFire #FireJob #NotYourOrdinaryJob
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Carrie Bilbao, BLM Fire Public Affairs Specialist at the National Interagency Fire Center is our next #WomeninWildfire spotlight for #WomensHistoryMonth! What positions have you held while working for the government, both fire ... and non-fire? My career with the federal government started in 1992 when I was hired as a seasonal wildland firefighter to serve as a fire investigator/fire prevention officer for the Bureau of Land Management - Idaho Boise District. Prior to that, I served as an unpaid public affairs specialist intern for the U.S. Forest Service - Boise National Forest to complete my bachelor's degree in communication at Boise State University. I enjoyed public relations and participated in many wildfire prevention events along with mitigation and education projects over the course of my career at the BLM Boise District. After 26 years, I transferred to NIFC as a public affairs specialist for BLM Fire. How did you get started in this career path and your involvement with fire? I never intended to have a career in fire. I fell into a seasonal fire job after talking with some firefighters while working at Bogus Basin Ski Resort the winter after graduating from college. The thought was, I would work nights at the Bogus Basin ticket office while looking for a public relations type job during the day. That is where I met Scott Anderson, McCall Smokejumper, and Nobel Dunn, BLM Boise District Firefighter. They both worked on ski patrol during the winter months and told me how great it is to work two seasonal jobs - firefighting in the summer, and winters at the ski area. I didn’t know you could do a seasonal wildland fire job…never even thought about it growing up in Boise, Idaho, but there it was. It sounded cool and adventurous, so I applied. I was offered a job working for Dennis Rudd on the Boise District fire investigation and prevention crew. From there, like many others, I was hooked. I worked for a great boss and had great co-workers. It was long, hard work it the summer, but it was also enjoyable and rewarding. I was able to expand my skills not only as a fire investigator but also in other wildland fire positions such as firefighter/type 5 incident commander, helitack crew member, and engine operator. I was also able to support large fire incidents in various positions on different incident command teams. And after a long hard summer, it was nice to take a break in the winter months at the ski area… also a fun job working with great people. Why do you like working in the fire program? Opportunity and variety. There are a lot of opportunities to work in a variety of positions with some incredible people in some beautiful places. There is also opportunity to grow with a lot of support from peers and supervisors. Maybe I have been lucky, but it has been a great career. It is ever-changing and fast-passed, but never gets boring or old. What advice do you have for women interested in a career in wildland fire and/or a support role in fire program? If this is something you are interested in pursuing, talk with some people in jobs you are most interested in. Get a feel for the program. It isn’t easy, so don’t expect it to be. You need to work hard, listen, and learn. There is a lot of opportunity for women in wildland fire management, you just have to want to do it and stick with it. Maybe you find firefighting isn’t your thing, but you might enjoy a support type position. There are avenues to transition to find the job that may be right for you. The BLM has been good to me, and it has been a great place to grow and spend my career. What are some of your hobbies outside of work? I have always loved the outdoors. Working in fire has also helped me appreciate the environment we work and live in even more. Skiing is my winter thing - love a deep, light powder day and spring skiing the corn snow on a warm, sunny day. I enjoy any type of travel from camping and hiking in the mountains, desert, or coastal areas to trekking around Mexico and Europe with my husband Miguel. Where I can take my dog Kea, I do. She also likes the snow and is a great companion for some winter snowshoeing or summer paddleboarding. She is a good little backpacker too. At home, I enjoy tinkering, cooking, and gardening. When I have more time, I would like to get back into fly fishing and explore more of our incredible public lands. Thank you, Carrie for being a leader and mentor as a wildland fire investigator and paving the way for so many to follow! #NotYourOrdinaryJob #WeAreBLMFire
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#WeAreBLMFire! Looking to be a leader in wildland fire? Join our team today.
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Wildfire response wouldn’t be possible without the unwavering support of many partners! #WeAreBLMFire
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