Fire Management
Fire Responsibility / Authority
Indiana Law mandates our fire responsibilities. Indiana Code 14-23-5-1 states that "The department, acting through the director and the state forester, shall establish and equip a firefighting organization within the Division of Forestry for the purpose of detecting, preventing, fighting and controlling fires on state forest lands." The code goes on to state that "The department may extend the same fire detection, prevention, fighting and control services thus established to other state lands under its supervision and control. The department may also establish such services for lands not owned by the state and not lying within the corporate limits of any city or town for the purposes of protecting the forests, fields and grasslands of the state." Other sections of the law deal with establishing and training a "volunteer forest firefighting service" and "authority to cooperate with the federal government and to receive benefits, aid and grants."
For more information, contact:
Fire Headquarters
6220 Forest Road
Martinsville, IN 46151
Phone (765) 342-4701
FAX: (765) 342-4760
E-mail: chunt@dnr.IN.gov
Wildland Fire Management
The Division of Forestry assumes Wildland fire responsibilities on approximately 7.328 million acres of forest and associated wildlands. This figure resulted from a study conducted by the U.S. Forest Service in the early 1970s. The acreage 
breakdown between forest and associated Wildland was partially re-verified by the 1986 statewide forest inventory. When the Fire Warden System was disbanded (late 1950s or early 1960s) the division reorganized to its current fire staffing structure. Due to our limited staffing and the emergence of a stronger rural fire service, Forestry's role regarding Wildland fire has changed. We have become a "support" agency regarding fire. Today, roughly 95 percent of all Wildland fires in Indiana are suppressed by rural and volunteer fire departments. Our fire programs are thus geared to support an already existing fire service. Through cooperative mutual aid agreements, the division is able to secure fire protection for most DNR properties, as well as other state and federal lands. This constitutes significant savings to the state of Indiana. Funding sources for our fire operations come from the division's operating, preventative maintenance (PM), and construction rehabilitation and repair (CR&R) funds. We also receive federal funding for State Fire Assistance (SFA) formerly Rural Fire Prevention and Control (RFP&C) and Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) formerly the Rural Community Fire Protection (RCFP) grant monies. The Division participates in National Mobility (all-risk management) operations through a cooperative agreement with the USDA Forest Service, State and Private Forestry.
Fire Mission
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Division of Forestry, Fire Management Program provides organizational, operational and technical support regarding wildland and prescribed fire management. This support extends to all Division of Forestry lands, and may be extended to other DNR controlled lands and to all lands outside incorporated cities and towns.
Outcomes Include:
- LIFE, PERSONAL PROPERTY AND NATURAL RESOURCES ARE PROTECTED
- RURAL FIRE SERVICE TAKES THE LEAD IN PREVENTION, PRE-SUPPRESSION, DETECTION AND SUPPRESSION
- CONTINUED SUPPORT WITH FINANCING, TRAINING, EQUIPMENT, TECHNICAL TRANSFER AND OTHER SERVICES
- EXPANDED USE OF FIRE AS A RESOURCE MANAGEMENT TOOL
Fire Managment Goals
- CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO RURAL AND VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
- TO CONTINUE TO WISELY UTILIZE FIRE AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL.
- PROVIDE APPROPRIATE SUPPORT FOR THE DIVISION OF FORESTRY RELEVANT TO FIRE.
- CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE DEPARTMENT AND IMPROVE COOPERATION WITH OTHER DIVISIONS
- CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ALL RISK RESPONSE AT THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL
Fire Managment Grants
Volunteer Fire Assistance (formerly Rural Community Fire Assistance)
- Federal Grant Program
- 50% Match
- Maximum Award $5,000
- Can be used to purchase fire prevention/education materials, training equipment and supplies, water handling equipment, organization (new departments only), communications equipment, dry hydrants, class "A" foam technology and safety gear (PASS alarms, SCBAs, turn-out gear)
Federal Excess Property Program (FEPP)
- Surplus federal equipment is assigned to Rural VFDs with Cooperative Agreement
- Title of equipment remains with GSA
- Can include trucks, generators, other large equipment
Handtool Program
- State Program with Cooperative Agreement
- Supplies cooperating and rural volunteer fire departments with cache of wildfire handtools (6 council rakes, 2 collapsible broom rakes, 4 fire swatters, 2 fire shovels, 2 backpack pumps)
- Value of approximately $950
Stay Connected
The Division of Forestry is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.
