Butte Valley Fire Protection District

10/05/2026

Please join us Saturday 10/10/26 for our Open House at the Butte Valley fire station from 1-3. See flyer!

09/10/2026

Thank you State Farm and NVFC for our Good Neighbor Fire Safety Grant. Thanks to this $10K grant we will be able to purchase a brand new hose compliment for our E-1810to replace our 27+ year old fire hose. Pictured are our happy volunteers and elected board of directors Thank you from community!

08/20/2026

PRESS RELEASE: Thank you, State Farm and NVFC, for our Good Neighbor Fire Safety Grant! Our Board of Directors and volunteer firefighters appreciate your support!

08/20/2026

It is tough to run a fire district with limited funding, staffed by volunteers. Yesterday, we were officially notified that BVFPD is the recipient of a $10K State Farm Good Neighbor Fire Safety Grant in conjunction with the National Volunteer Fire Council. We will use those much-needed funds to purchase structural fire hose for E-1810 to replace fire hose more than 27 years old. Thank you, State Farm and NVFC, for helping us to improve service to our community and mutual aid partners.

150 volunteer departments each received a $10,000 grant to purchase needed equipment through the State Farm® Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program.

08/10/2026

BVFPD extends its most sincere THANKS to the California Foundation for our FY2025 Wildfire Safety Grant in Cooperation with PG&E. We received $24,605 to purchase wildland fire protective clothing, hose, tools, and fire shelters. We outfitted our entire staff, and thanks to the Siskiyou County Fire Warden program, we were able to train our firefighters in wildland fire response through College of the Siskiyous. These programs went a long way in preparing us to protect our community, as well as our mutual aid partners. Thank you, California Fire Foundation, for helping the California Fire Service!

04/08/2026

https://www.facebook.com/100067826799316/posts/1275828921354656/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

12/22/2025

Please be careful in this week’s weather. Stay alert, be safe! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from your BVFPD Board and Volunteers. https://www.facebook.com/100067826799316/posts/1191593833111499/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

🚨 Important Alert 🚨. Severe weather is currently impacting our area, resulting in widespread flooding and hazardous road conditions. We strongly advise against all non-essential travel to ensure your safety. Please refrain from driving through flooded streets and stay informed about the latest weather updates. Your well-being is our top priority. Stay safe and take necessary precautions.

12/12/2025

Upcoming wildland firefighter training in the spring to prep our Siskiyou County
Volunteer Firefighters for the upcoming 2026 Fire Season. State Fire Training certified course FC6 Wildland Fire Essentials presented by BVFPD’s own Assistant Fire Chief of Training and Administration Wayne Eder. This course is offered at no cost to Siskiyou County volunteers but you must register in advance. Mark your calendars!

This course provides information, methods, and techniques for the utilization of the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid Plan, Incident Command System, wildland fire fighting strategy and tactics, structure triage, terminology, survival skills and operating safely in a wildland fire-fighting incid...

12/06/2025

BVFPD operates a Support Water Tender for incidents both within and outside of our fire district. What is a Water Tender? Here is some great information. Have a safe day!

https://www.facebook.com/61571329861070/posts/122149237016710995/

WATER TENDERS ON WILDFIRES

What they are & why they matter

WHAT IS A WATER TENDER?

A Water Tender (also called a tanker in wildland fire terms) is a specialized vehicle designed to haul large volumes of water to remote or hard-to-reach wildfire locations. Because many fires occur far from hydrants or municipal systems, tenders are critical for keeping engines, crews, and aircraft supplied.

On incidents, tenders are typed based on their capacity and capability:
• Type 1 Tender: 4,000+ gallons
• Type 2 Tender: 2,500+ gallons
• Type 3 Tender: 1,000+ gallons
• Tactical Tenders: Pump-and-roll, higher mobility, used directly on the fireline

WHAT DO WE USE THEM FOR?

1. Supplying Engines & Crews

Tenders set up water points along roads or divisions so engines don’t have to return miles to refill. This keeps engines on the line and increases suppression efficiency.

2. Supporting Hand Crews

Hand crews rely heavily on tenders to refill:
• bladder bags
• Mark-3 or Portable Pump setups
• hose lays
• pumpkin tanks

A tender can feed an entire hose lay operation.

3. Structure Protection in the WUI

Water tenders are heavily used in interface (WUI) operations for:
• filling engines, Type 6s, and Type 3s
• supplying portable tanks around homes
• backing up sprinkler systems
• supporting firing operations near structures

WUI work often requires large volumes fast — tenders make it possible.

4. Feeding Helicopter Dip Sites

Many helibases or dip sites use:
• pump-fed drafting setups, or
• portable heliwells / pumpkin tanks

Tenders keep these tanks topped off, especially during high ops tempo.

5. Dust Abatement & Roadway Safety

Tenders apply water to:
• reduce dust on access roads
• improve visibility for engines, dozers, and crew carriers
• firm up roads for heavy equipment using foam/re-wetting agents

This greatly improves logistics during long-duration incidents.

6. Direct Fireline Support (Tactical Tenders)

Tactical tenders can:
• pump-and-roll
• lay hose
• support firing ops
• extinguish hotspots along dozer lines

They’re especially valuable on grass, sage, and fast-moving initial attack fires where mobility matters.

WHY THEY’RE ESSENTIAL ON EVERY INCIDENT

Water = Time

On a wildfire, having water close by buys time, slows fire spread, and keeps resources working without interruption.

Mobility = Access

Tenders reach places standard municipal engines cannot.

Support = Capacity

With tenders in place, a division can run multiple engines, pumps, and hose lays without running dry.

12/03/2025

Happy Holidays! The BVFPD Board and Staff wish each of you a safe, happy, and prosperous holiday season. This time of year is hazardous, with the threat of structural fires ever-present. Please review the attached holiday safety tips from the National Fire Protection Association. Stay safe!