FIRE CENTER AT YELLOWSTONE

Follow This Sign To the Fire Center

Located 2 miles north of West Yellowstone, Montana, 90 miles south of Bozeman, Montana, and 100 miles northeast of Idaho Falls, Idaho is where you will find the Aerial Fire Center.

This base was established in 1951 and at that time was located at the old airport at the edge of the town of West Yellowstone. It was moved to its new location in 1965. It is adjacent to the West Yellowstone Airport.

As with many things in this area, they operate on a seasonal basis. During the summer 21 smoke jumpers, pilots for the jump plane and retardant tanker, an office manager as well as a tanker base manager call this location "home". 

 These people are attached to the Gallatin National Forest and their primary response area is that of the Gallatin, Shoshone,  Beaverhead/Deer Lodge,  Targhee, Bridger/Teton and  Custer National Forests along with Yellowstone and Teton National  Parks.

 Even though the areas mentioned above are their primary areas of responsibility in the event of wildfire they can be dispatched anywhere in the country.