Forest Service awards $140 million contract to Firestorm
A $140 million Forest Service contract was awarded to Firestorm Wildland Fire Suppression, Inc. of Chico. This contract award was part of several made throughout the country for Type 2 Initial Attack qualified wildland firefighter crews. The contract period is for five years from Feb. 8, 2022 through Feb. 7, 2027 and is not to exceed $140 million.
“I applaud the hard work of the Firestorm crew and their dedication to the forestry industry,” said Congressman Doug LaMalfa. “Type 2 wildland firefighters are essential in wildland fire management and are at the forefront of dangerous conditions to build fire lines across backcountry terrain with hand tools and chainsaws. They are a leader in emergency services and forest management in the Butte County area. I look forward to seeing more of their good work in our area.”
“Firestorm is thrilled with the new award of the Type II Initial Attack Handcrew Contract,” said Leah Wills, co-Owner of Firestorm Wildland Fire Suppression. “Over the next five years this contract will allow us to develop and train 600 new professional firefighters within our organization and 5,000 nationally.”
The firefighters will be a part of Initial Attack Wildland firefighting crews that will be available for fighting wildland fires throughout the state and nation. In addition, the crews could be a critical asset with the capacity and skills to perform thousands of acres of critical forest health projects in the national forests and around local communities.
“Firestorm has been contracting and providing wildland hand crews for the federal government for more than 25 years,” Wills said. “These new awards will allow us to continue to be a substantial employer in the state of California and provide hundreds of jobs annually.”
