Oct. 6--TWIN FALLS -- The Bureau of Land Management Twin Falls District Fire Management program transferred five wildland fire engines to local fire districts during a ceremony Thursday at the BLM Twin Falls District Office.
The recipients were the Bliss Rural Fire District, Notch Butte Rangeland Fire Protection Association, Raft River Rural Fire Protection District, Saylor Creek Rangeland Fire Protection Association and the Shoshone Basin Rangeland Fire Protection Association.
The engines were transferred under BLM's Rural Fire Readiness program to provide equipment to local wildland firefighting partners at no cost. "We are pleased to make this engine transfer happen for so many of our rural partners on the Twin Falls District," BLM Idaho State Director John Ruhs said in a statement.
"Through this transfer, we are enhancing the ability to suppress wildland fires that threaten communities, property and natural resources in south-central Idaho." Community partnerships between the BLM and local fire departments are crucial to wildfire response on private, state and federal lands that support grazing, recreation, wildlife and other values important to local economies.
For the past several years, these fire engines have served in each of the Burley, Jarbidge and Shoshone Field Offices within the BLM Twin Falls District, as well as multiple out-of-state assignments in the West.
For more information on the Rural Fire Readiness program, go to blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/rural-fire-readiness-program.
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