CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Roughly 126,000 acres, 95% of which is undeveloped, the land covering the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is home to oak woodlands, coastal sage scrub and chaparral, dunes and bluffs, wetlands and vernal pools and riparian corridors. In the dry, hot climate of Southern California, these areas face a high risk of harm, with an average of over 101 wildfires per year on Camp Pendleton.
The key to protecting these areas, along with residential areas and the local community, lies in intricate, thorough communication, readiness and interagency relations among the Camp Pendleton Fire Department, the Regional Defense Operations Center (RDOC), CAL FIRE and the Cleveland National Forest Service. Emergency services, practiced over the decades and implemented in recent years, protect the land we call home, with life preservation as the priority.
A LEGACY OF SERVICE
Since 1942, the Camp Pendleton Fire Department has provided fire protection and emergency medical services across the installation with 11 stations, supporting military personnel, their families and other contractors and residents on base. Comprising over 100 firefighters, their personnel are formally trained to be versatile and equipped to provide wildland fire suppression, advanced life support, emergency medical services, technical rescue, hazmat services and fire prevention and inspection.
“So, when there's a wildland incident, the stations that are normally responding to structure fires, vehicle accidents, and medical incidents, those folks are no longer available because they're on a wildland fire. So, if we have 10 stations, let's say half will be immediately assigned to a wildland incident, which reduces our other capabilities by half right out of the gate. Then, the bigger the fire gets, the more demanding the staffing gets,” explains Fire Chief Kenneth Helgerson, the Lead Fire Chief of the Camp Pendleton Fire Department. “But every single one of these firefighters is an [emergency medical technician], a wildland firefighter, a structure firefighter, a hazmat technician, a rope rescuer, etc. So, having that kind of capable firefighter here is key to our success because every one of those jobs is a big job, and then we make them do nine of them all the time.”
The Camp Pendleton Fire Department faces roughly 101 wildland fires a year, in addition to its demanding responsibilities in emergency medical services and technical needs across the 195 square mile base. In recent years, the Camp Pendleton Fire Department has continued to face the same number of fires each year, keeping residents across the installation and surrounding communities safe. When asked about the impact that the demand has had on the firefighters, Deputy Fire Chief Peter Korodini, the Deputy Fire Chief of the Camp Pendleton Fire Department, shared,
“That's a huge part of the fire service as a whole, right?” explains Deputy Fire Chief Korodini, “It's not just your typical Monday through Friday nine-to-five job. We live together. We work together. We eat dinner together. Sometimes we're together more with one another than we are with our own family. So there really is that family, that brotherhood, sisterhood, and in times like these, it really shows a lot more. The folks like helping each other out. We're all going through it. Not just a couple of people on the floor; they're all feeling it. We're all feeling it. You know, feeling for them so, although it's a tough time, I see a bit more unity because we're all in it together.”
IMPROVED METHODS
Over the years, the Camp Pendleton Fire Department has identified smarter ways to maintain consistent readiness. Since the 1980s, the Camp Pendleton Fire Department has prided itself on maintaining fire breaks year-round. Fire breaks, also known as fire lines, are created by bulldozers or from natural or existing vegetation or material. They are areas, such as rivers or flat dirt patches, roughly two to fifteen feet in length, that provide a natural gap between fire and vegetation, housing or infrastructure, preventing it from spreading. These fire breaks provide a natural barrier to protect families, housing, and key vegetative areas. They ultimately stand as a key tool in saving infrastructure and lives. The consistent maintenance of firebreaks also reduces the demand and workload on the Camp Pendleton Fire Department during fire season, ensuring they are fully capable and mentally alert when fighting the forward progress and spread of a fire should wind or other natural factors come into play.
“The Marines [on base] help out with the fire break maintenance every year,” explains Division Chief Brian Gilmore, the Wildland Division Chief of the Camp Pendleton Fire Department. “We have about 125 miles of dozer lines that are already pre-planned, and they get maintained and cut every year. And [the Facilities Maintenance Division] uses a variety of Marine units to help get those cut in. So, they're involved in the pre-fire preparations. That's a huge benefit; just yesterday's fire bumped up against an existing break. They really make a difference between us, keeping a fire on or near the range versus one by our neighbors.”
In the same vein of efficiency, Mutual Threat Zones (MTZs), developed around 2019 through the Cleveland National Forest, CAL FIRE and the Camp Pendleton Fire Department, speed requests for help in an incredibly rapid timeframe. Designated areas surrounding the base's boundaries, the MTZs provide immediate communication with partnering agencies through the Cleveland National Forest National Interagency Coordination Center. With MTZs, the formal PROS (Pendleton, Riverside, Orange County and San Diego) Plan also provides communications on the same frequency to reach all members of different agencies, equipping first responders with clear, direct lines of communication.
“What might happen would be [an agency] sees smoke,” explains Capt. Oscar Sotelo, a public information officer with the San Diego County Fire Department. “They might send their own response. We might send our own because we're not too sure where it is, which [used to create] confusion because everybody was on different communication frequencies. So, the [PROS Plan] that exists enables all the agencies, Camp Pendleton, Riverside, Orange County and San Diego, to have this uniform communication frequency list. So, when [Camp] Pendleton, or CAL FIRE, says there's a fire in their area, they broadcast an announcement and declare the frequencies, so we're all on the same page if we happen to send a response.”
In a practical application, when a fire is identified within the MTZs, emergency responders are notified through both the RDOC on Camp Pendleton and the Cleveland National Forest National Interagency Coordination Center. This ensures that a response arrives on-site promptly, leading to a unified front among all involved agencies to combat fires and protect lives, ultimately focusing on working together to protect the community regardless of context or location.
“[The MTZs] help us when [fires] are pre-identified,” explains Division Chief Gilmore. “We go to a fire, the first arriving engine gets on scene or brush truck, and they'll identify if it's in that MTZ, and they'll ask for response or just do a notification over all the agencies.”
RAPID RESPONSE
In recent months, the combined team of the Camp Pendleton Fire Department, CAL FIRE and the Cleveland National Forest has been recognized for its speed and efforts in combating the November Fire in June and the Pipeline Fire in early July.
Ablaze on June 10, 2026, on Camp Pendleton, the November Fire spread aggressively, reaching the Marine Memorial Golf Course and subsequently the Oceanside Municipal Golf Course in the local area. Spanning over 500 acres, the Camp Pendleton Fire Department, with support from air assets and assistance from CAL FIRE and the Cleveland National Forest, achieved 100% containment early on June 12, 2026, ensuring no loss of lives or infrastructure. With the aid of the Provost Marshal Office and the RDOC, the Camp Pendleton Fire Department ensured the safety of life throughout the evacuation of the Marine Memorial Golf Course during the containment efforts.
“I would say with these larger fires, you know, even if it's just initial attack or goes into extended attack, it can't be done successfully without a team of folks,” describes Division Chief Robert Fleisher, the Northern Division Chief of the Camp Pendleton Fire Department.
“You have [Fleisher],” explains Gilmore, “who was the incident commander, overall in charge of everything that's going on, but he's got a staff of folks helping him, supporting him, and it's everyone from other chiefs to, you know, some outside agencies, to law enforcement, to even [Marine Corps Community Services] at the golf course, you know. It really takes a team to ensure these incidents are successful. Minimal damage to infrastructure, property and most importantly, life. One person is ultimately in charge of it and responsible, but it takes a team of folks to make that happen.”
A larger fire, the Pipeline Fire, initially reported on July 6, 2026, due to a regular training exercise on the installation at Range 501, grew to over 1,075 acres. With roughly 220 personnel responding, the fire resulted in the evacuation of the 32 and 33 areas. With direct assistance from CAL FIRE and the Cleveland National Forest, the Camp Pendleton Fire Department achieved 100% containment remarkably quickly, with no casualties or infrastructure damage.
When asked about fire response priorities, Division Chief Fleisher described it as, “Always, life is number one. So that's what we're always going to hit first: life safety, which includes structural protection and evacuating people who need to be. Property would be number two, and containment would be our third goal.”
When a fire like the November Fire or Pipeline Fire ignites, the right people must be notified quickly and effectively. Upon activation of the RDOC, communication speeds across the installation increase, providing a direct link to the Commanding General when the most important decisions regarding the safety of service members and their families must be made. To support tactical responses, the Marine Corps Installations West – MCB Camp Pendleton staff sections coordinate extensive base assets through the RDOC, which maintains continuous 24/7 operations during emergencies.
“During thePipeline Fireon July 7, 2026, which burned 1,075 acres, the Camp Pendleton Fire Department established Incident Command under Chief Helgerson,” explains Scott Lemieux, the Regional Emergency Manager with the G-3/5 Current Operations Branch, RDOC. “[CAL FIRE] integrated seamlessly, providing strike teams, water tenders, and hand crews. A combined force of 220 firefighters constructed containment lines, successfully holding the fire within base boundaries with no off-installation impacts.”
UNWAVERING LEADERSHIP
The speed and success of the Camp Pendleton Fire Department during the incredibly demanding Southern California Fire Season are based on highly proficient communication and established, reliable relationships. When asked how Camp Pendleton Fire Department prioritizes the welfare and mental health of its members during the long, physically demanding fire responses, Division Chief Robert Washburn, a division chief with the Camp Pendleton Fire Department, shared,
“So that shift in that culture, you know, it's slow going, but I think we're turning that page right now, and more and more people are recognizing that it's important to care about the impact these stressful responses can have. It starts here at the top – ‘Is our leadership enforcing that culture?’ Let's talk about it. Giving them the resources to make sure that they're good.”
The wit and capabilities of its leaders, such as Fire Chief Helgerson, Deputy Chief Kordoni, and Division Chiefs Gilmore, Fleisher, and Washburn, continue to uphold the incredible legacy of the Camp Pendleton Fire Department since its founding in 1942, as well as the thousands of first responders who have served in its ranks. Camp Pendleton Fire Department leadership continues to ensure that during the hottest months of the year, the installation and its residents are protected as resourcefully and effectively as possible, while also prioritizing the care of their team during long 24-hour shifts and exhausting week-long combative efforts.
It is the principle of selflessness that the Camp Pendleton Fire Department and its partnering agencies have relied upon when times get tough, exhaustion sets in and the smoke of demand begins to fog the cognitive processes. This assures not only the residents on base but also those off base that when a fire breaks out, help will arrive swiftly, precisely and without fail.
Lead Fire Chief Helgerson is a retired U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant who has served as a firefighter for 42 years and is entering his third year with the Camp Pendleton Fire Department. Deputy Fire Chief Korodini has served as a first responder for over 24 years and has been with the Camp Pendleton Fire Department for 20 years. Division Chief Gilmore has served as a firefighter for 30 years and has been with the Camp Pendleton Fire Department for over 20 years. Division Chief Fleisher has served as a first responder for over 21 years and has been with the Camp Pendleton Fire Department for 19 years. Division Chief Washburn has been with the Camp Pendleton Fire Department for over 14 years.