What’s a “Contract County”?
California’s fire protection system is unique. While CAL FIRE directly operates 21 Units statewide, six counties run a little differently: Marin, Kern, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, and Orange.
In these counties, the county’s fire department provides day-to-day fire protection and prevention in State Responsibility Areas (SRA)—but they do it under an agreement with CAL FIRE. That means CAL FIRE provides funding and support while the county fire agency staffs and operates their resources.
The result? When a wildfire sparks in a Contract County, the engines, bulldozers, and crews, respond as part of our same statewide system. Whether it’s a CAL FIRE strike team or a Contract County engine, the response is coordinated, seamless, and focused on rapid initial attack to keep 95% of wildfires to 10 acres or less.
So, while CAL FIRE Units and Contract Counties may have different logos and uniforms, their mission is the same: protecting lives, property, and California’s natural resources.
