Monitoring BLM in California

ScanCal.org

Frequency Info
166.375 Admin Net
166.4875 Fire Net
166.750 Law Net
168.300 Scene of Action (SOA)
167.950 Air to Ground

166.725 Tac 1
166.775 Tac 2
168.250 Tac 3
168.275 Command 1
168.525 Command 2

I have not had much experience with BLM fire radio traffic. All BLM resources are found on Admin Net, with various tones throughout the area to get back to dispatch. For fire incidents, command traffic switches to Fire Net, and tactical traffic will go to SOA or any of the tac freqs. Most larger fires will involve USFS or CALFIRE and their frequency resources will probably be used instead. All radios are narrowband P25 digital capable. The handhelds in the Redding area are Icom P25 digitals.

Most radio traffic will be administrative and law enforcement related for their land-management. Fire traffic will usually consist of smaller fires started by lightning. The two major BLM fire-prone areas are in the Susanville and Bakersfield areas. There, fires can get large enough and still stay strictly a BLM fire, providing ample radio traffic.