CCC Crews Respond to Dixie Fire

Soot covered. Exhausted. But, after a good meal and some rest, they’re ready to return to the fire line.

These faces and scenes tell the story of the CCC’s response to the Dixie Fire. Since July 13, our CCC wildland firefighting hand crews have tackled steep terrain, intense fire behavior, and long shifts in Butte and Plumas counties.

Crews had to hike along railroad tracks to reach the fire line and even rode the Union Pacific fire train to get home after a 24-hour shift.

As of July 23, 10 CCC fire crews from Magalia, Los Padres, Placer, and Tahoe centeres are assigned to the incident. The CCC Fortuna fire crew is supporting the local CAL FIRE unit to cover for crews assigned to the main fire.

Magalia 3 Corpsmembers climb aboard the Union Pacific Railroad’s water train for a ride back to their crew busses. 

At one point, all 11 crews were operating from the Magalia Fire Center—the most CCC crews ever deployed there for an incident. Magalia’s culinary Corpsmembers are working all hours of the day to keep the crews fed.

Wildland fire crews eat breakfast first thing in the morning before heading to the fire. Crews returning from the line will eat breakfast anywhere from 8 a.m. to as late as 3 p.m., as the kitchen stays ready to feed them.

Magalia Fire Center Culinary Corpsmembers fill plates for wildland firefighters fresh from the fire fight. Corpsmembers from Magalia and Los Padres centers are seen waiting in line for the hot meal. 

A dozen CCC crews are supporting fire operations at three base camps, in Chico, Quincy and Westwood near Lake Almanor.

Elsewhere in the state, Delta fire crews are working the Tamarack Fire in Alpine County. Additional camp support crews are at three other fires, including the massive Bootleg Fire in Oregon.

It’s what our Corpsmembers sign up for; to help our neighbors and to help keep California safe.

See more photos from the CCC’s Dixie Fire response on our Facebook and Instagram channels.