Magalia Fire Center
Watch the Magalia Center Video Tour!
Corpsmembers at the Magalia Fire Center respond to wildfires throughout Butte County and the state.
A Magalia Corpsmember checks on burn piles during a fuel reduction project near the Oroville dam.
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Magalia Fire Center
6640 Steiffer Road
Magalia, CA 95954
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Train With Us
Get paid to train! The skills and lessons you learn at the Magalia Fire Center will create a strong foundation for you to launch a meaningful career and transform your life.
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Culinary
Magalia Center Corpsmembers train for careers in commercial kitchens, resorts, and restaurants. The culinary crew prepares and provides meals to residents at the center. Corpsmembers at Magalia are able to earn Food Handler and Manager ServSafe certifications.
Culinary
Emergency Response
All Corpsmembers respond to emergencies across California and beyond. Assignments can last up to 21 days in a row and Corpsmembers may work up to 16 hours in a day, earning excess pay. Crews support wildfire base camps, protect homes from flooding, remove debris, and more.
Emergency Response
Wildland Firefighting
The CCC Magalia Fire Center operates four wildland firefighting hand crews in collaboration with the CAL FIRE Butte unit. Corpsmembers cut fire line, lay hose, and mop up wildland fires. They also reduce wildfire risk by removing vegetation, creating fuel breaks, and participating in prescribed burns. Crews respond to local calls and can be dispatched statewide.
Wildland Firefighting
Picture Yourself Here
Place yourself in these Corpsmember’s boots and envision life at the Magalia Fire Center.
Know Before You Go
Weather
Temperatures at the Magalia Fire Center average highs of 89 °F in the summer and overnight lows of 41 °F in the winter.
Lodging
Food & housing costs $500 per month. Corpsmembers may reside in barracks style dorms or individual room dorms. Individual rooms are for two or four people.
Activities
Join Magalia’s Corpsmember Advisory Board to organize volunteer events, plan recreation trips, and build community.
Find Your Path
Work with CCC career navigators to chart out your path to success. We can help you leverage your training to launch meaningful careers and pursue educational opportunities. Don’t just take our word for it, check out this alum story.
“I was able to receive the necessary certifications and training for a job in wildland fire. Without the CCC I would not have had nearly as solid a foundation for my fire career. I would absolutely recommend the CCC to anyone beginning their career, or simply trying to find themselves.”
Ask Us Anything
Talk to A Recruiter
Facility Questions
Can I park my personal vehicle on the center property?
Yes, there is plenty of parking for personal vehicles on the center grounds. Corpsmembers must have driver license, proof of insurance, and current registration in order to park at the center. Drivers must take the state defensive driver training as well.
Will my personal cell phone get reception at the center?
Corpsmembers with AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile should have no issue with signal strength and quality. However, inside most buildings service may be limited.
Does the center offer all-gender dorms or rooms?
The center does have flexibility to provide gender neutral dorm rooms when requested.
If I am not able to bring a vehicle to the center, will I be able to get into town for supplies?
Yes, the center will help coordinate trips into Paradise or Chico for supplies during the weekends. There is also a public transit stop at the end of Steiffer Road, which can take Corpsmembers to Magalia, Paradise, and even Chico.
Are food delivery services available at center?
App delivery services are spotty in their service to the Magalia Fire Center. For example, Door Dash sometimes is able to deliver to the center, but not always.
A local pizza place is able to deliver to the center, but given the rural nature of the center’s location app delivery services are not to be relied upon.
Amazon, USPS, UPS, and FedEx all do make deliveries to the center.
Should I change my address to the Magalia Fire Center?
We ask that Corpsmembers do not change their address to the Magalia Fire Center through the US Postal Service. Since the center is listed as a business, changing your USPS address to the center and back can be problematic. Ask center staff upon arrival for further clarification.
Is there a gym at the center?
Yes there is a gym with a wide variety of equipment available for use. The gym is available during all off-duty hours. Corpsmembers must review basic gym safety and etiquette.
Community Living Questions
Are there computers I can use at the center?
The center has 12 laptop computers available for Corpsmember use to construct resumes, search for jobs, and complete online courses. Computers are available off hours between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Corpsmembers can sign out a laptop, but must use it in the classroom or in the office with supervision.
Will the Magalia Fire Center help me get my driver license?
The center will help provide the resources for a Corpsmember to make their appointment with a driving school or to the DMV.
Does the center have counseling services available?
Yes, the center does have on-site counseling services. A counselor is usually available for walk-ins, unless the provider is not able to staff the counselor.
Do Corpsmembers need to sign in or out when they leave the center’s campus?
Yes, Corpsmembers are required to sign in or out when leaving or returning to the center. This allows staff to know how many Corpsmembers are on center at all times and for ease of emergency callbacks.
Are their quiet hours at the center?
Yes. We ask that Corpsmembers be courteous to their fellow Corpsmembers and limit noise during specific hours.
Quiet hours are:
- 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Every Night
Can my friends and family visit me at the center?
Yes, visitors are welcome to the center, but may only visit during off-duty hours. Visitors may only access the public spaces of the center and not visit inside any dorms.
Can I complete my high school diploma at the center?
No. The Magalia Fire Center does not have high school classes. In order to enroll at the center, you must have your high school diploma or a high school equivalency.
What kind of volunteer events does the center participate in?
Since the crews are so busy during fire season they complete volunteer events during the off-season, primarily the winter months or in the spring and sometimes late fall.
Volunteer events are typically available in Magalia, helping beautify the town, and in nearby Paradise.
What should I bring to my residential center?
Your Recruiter will give you a packing list when you are assigned to a center. Generally, dorms are equipped with lockers having minimal closet space. It’s recommended to pack light. Once Corpsmembers have been settled into the program and into regular Corpsmember rooms with larger lockers, they can bring more items.
Are special dietary needs accommodated?
Yes. Culinary staff at our residential centers prepare a variety of meals catering to the different ethnic and cultural backgrounds of our Corpsmembers. They serve traditional, vegetarian, and vegan meals which are all well-balanced, nutritious, and delicious.
Crew Questions
Am I able to join a fire crew immediately?
Yes. The Magalia Fire Center only allows Corpsmembers to serve in the wildland firefighting program or culinary program. Corpsmembers interested in wildland firefighting must be able to pass the arduous work capacity test, or pack test, in order to go through fire training.
We encourage those interested in becoming a wildland firefighter to work with their Recruiter to complete their fire fitness tracker to ensure they’re ready for the physical rigors of the job.
Am I able to take EMT courses while at the Magalia Fire Center?
Possibly, yes. The center is able to send four to five Corpsmembers to EMT classes with Butte College. Corpsmembers do have to pay for those courses, but the CCC Brad Duncan Scholarship can help offset the costs. Corpsmembers selected must be committed to complete the full course, which typically lasts more than two months. Corpsmembers must apply for these spots.
Does the center assist in attending a full fire academy for structural firefighting?
Yes, the center is able to send Corpsmembers to the Ventura Training Center during the winter months. Spots are limited and competitive. The Ventura Training Center, near our Camarillo Center, provides the certificates necessary to meet CAL FIRE’s structural firefighter requirements.
What is the Culinary crew’s schedule?
The Culinary crew provides seven days per week coverage. The crew is split into two groups. One crew works Sunday to Wednesday, the other Wednesday to Saturday. The Corpsmembers work 10-hour split-shifts:
- 4 a.m. to 9 a.m.
- 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
How many people does the kitchen feed every day?
Typically, the center will feed the maximum of 73 Corpsmembers each day. During emergency situations, the Magalia Fire Center can be a staging area or base camp for other fire crews. When this happens, the culinary crew may be feeding 400 to 500 people each day.
What if I fail the pack test on my first try?
The pack test is required to move on to fire training. At Magalia, the pack test takes place during the second week of initial training, called COMET. If you fail on the first try, the center will provide a chance to re-take the pack test.
If the Corpsmember fails again, they may need to transfer to another residential center to serve on a natural resource crew until they are able to pass the pack test. Sometimes, Corpsmembers may be able to stay at Magalia working on the Culinary crew. However, spots are limited in the kitchen and the center may not be able to make that accommodation.
Read Center News
When large-scale wildfires ignite, everyone does their part to make a difference. For culinary crews at the CCC Magalia Fire Center, it’s a chance to put their skills and knowledge to the test.
