Restoring Forests. Protecting Communities.

UTV with Skid-Mount Fire Pump: Expanding Good Fire Capacity

At the Healthy Forest Alliance Foundation, our UTV with skid-mount fire pump has become one of the most versatile and impactful tools in our prescribed fire program. Designed for mobility, speed, and efficiency, this unit allows us to access terrain that traditional engines simply cannot reach—while still delivering reliable water support during training and implementation.

The skid-mount system includes a compact water tank, pump, hose reels, and quick-connect fittings mounted securely to a side-by-side UTV platform. This configuration gives our crews the ability to rapidly deploy water along firelines, reinforce holding operations, and provide immediate suppression capability during firing operations. In prescribed fire, mobility matters—and this platform dramatically improves our ability to keep fire within prescription.

During training events, the UTV plays a critical instructional role. Students learn pump operations, hose deployment, communication protocols, and coordinated firing and holding tactics. Because the system is visible, hands-on, and scaled appropriately for training environments, it provides an ideal bridge between classroom instruction and field performance. Participants gain practical experience managing water resources in real time—an essential skill for both wildland firefighters and prescribed fire practitioners.

Beyond training, we deploy the UTV during community demonstrations, capacity-building events, and cooperative burns with landowners and Prescribed Burn Associations. It enhances safety margins, increases operational flexibility, and allows small crews to operate efficiently on private lands and complex terrain.

Investments like this strengthen our mission: building a skilled workforce capable of implementing safe, effective “good fire.” By combining modern equipment with nationally aligned training standards, we are expanding access to prescribed fire while protecting communities and improving forest health.