THE DISTRICT

In 1945, Calpine, Sierraville and Sattley Volunteer Fire Departments incorporated into the Sierra County Fire Protection District #1, which was formed in 1930.

Located in Eastern Sierra County, California, Sierra County Fire Protection District #1 (the District) provides fire and emergency medical support services (EMS) to a 329,512 acre or 514.9 square mile portion of Sierra County, from the Crest of the Sierra east to the Nevada state border, and from Nevada County to Plumas and Lassen Counties, excluding the City of Loyalton. The District maintains and operates three Stations: Station 82 in Sierraville, Station 83 in Sattely, and Station 84 in Calpine.

The District is a volunteer force with dedicated volunteers who train regularly, and respond day or night, sunshine or snow storm. Volunteers meet weekly and train in preparation to respond to fires, vehicle accidents, technical rescues and medical emergencies. The District uses volunteers working with apparatus (including  (3) Type 1 engines,  a Type 2 engine, a Type 3  and Type 6 engine, two light rescues and (3) Type 1 Water Tenders) located in three fire stations: Sattley, Calpine, and Sierraville. 

The primary fire responsibility is the protection of life and developed properties (homes, businesses, and ranches).  Much of the District is timberland  and agricultural properties.  The responsibilities for protection of those wildlands rests with CalFire and its partners, the Tahoe and Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest. The District supports those efforts by training volunteers to fight wildland fires and by also maintaining brush engines and water tenders.    

Sierra County established a service area of benefit for Verdi and Long Valley within the District service area. The District contracts with Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District (TMFPD) to provide fire protection and EMS service to Long Valley and Verdi, California.  Similarly, the District contracts with the City of Loyalton to provide fire and EMS services to Sierra Brooks, Loyalton Pines, the Loyalton Mill Site and neighboring ranches and farms.

No fire agency can stand alone.   From that perspective, the District maintains mutual aid agreements with the agencies serving Sierra City, Loyalton, Truckee, Graeagle, Portola, Beckwourth and Vinton/Chilcoot.  Likewise, the District maintains a cooperative agreement with the Tahoe National Forest and enjoys an extremely collaborative relationship with the Tahoe.   

The model for the District fire and EMS effort has been dubbed "One District, Three Stations"

ISO ratings

• The District has an overall ISO rating of 6/6x.   
• Sierraville and Calpine (within 1000 feet of a hydrant served by the respective water districts) are rated as “6”.
• Sattley, areas near Sierraville and Calpine not served by central water systems, Webber Lake, and Jackson Meadows are rated as “6X”
• Verdi and Long Valley have a rating of 4X as extended areas served by Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District.
• Sierra Brooks enjoys a rating of 5 for areas within 1000 feet of a community water system hydrant.
• Loyalton Pines and other areas served by the Loyalton contract have a rating of 5X.

OUR HISTORY

Read more about the District's history here.

OUR LOCATION

The first map illustrates the breadth of coverage for Sierra County Fire Protection District, highlighting the 2020 formation of County Service Area 4 to include Loyalton, Verdi and Long Valley in the northeast corner of Sierra County.

The second map shows a compilation of the County fire districts overlayed on the current CalFire Fire Severity Zone Map in 2023.  This map represents the current status of the respective boundaries of all fire districts, the new boundary of the Sierra County Fire Protection District #1 which includes the boundary of County Service Area 4B, and Pliocene Ridge CSD.