As “fire season” increasingly seems more like a year-round risk, the Arcadia Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service have established a local Joint Fire Training Center to improve preparedness and meet the growing need for regional training facilities, officials said Thursday.
The facility, funded with a $2 million federal grant, will occupy about 30,000 square feet of land at the Angeles National Forest Headquarters adjacent to the 210 Freeway. Plans call for a four-story training tower with space for live-fire training and classrooms. The Joint Training Center will also include residential simulation areas within the tower, allowing firefighters to practice hose deployment, ladder operations, rappelling, roof operations and high-angle rescue exercises.
A significant portion of Arcadia is foothill terrain that has repeatedly faced the threat of fast-moving wildfires, most recently during the 2025 Eaton Canyon and 2020 Bobcat blazes.
“After the devastating Bobcat and Eaton fires, it was clear that wildfire preparedness must continue to evolve,” Mayor Eileen Wang, said in a statement.
She added that Chu “recognized the regional benefit of this project and advocated tirelessly to secure the funding that will make this facility a reality. The new Joint Fire Training Center not only strengthens Arcadia, but all the neighboring communities along the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, helping first responders meet future wildfire threats with greater readiness and resilience.”
Officials said the center’s aim will be to strengthen interagency emergency response and improve wildfire preparedness throughout the region. The project was made possible through a $2 million grant secured by Rep. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena. While both the Forest Service and AFD pursued funding in 2024, federal budget delays postponed the funding until earlier this year.
“Ensuring our communities are prepared for and protected from natural disasters is one of my top priorities in Congress. From the Bobcat Fire in 2020 to the recent Eaton Fire that destroyed nearly 6,000 homes and took 19 lives, our region has seen firsthand how devastating these disasters can be,” Chu said in a statement. “Arcadia sits along the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, which puts the entire community at a higher risk from fast-moving wildfires. That’s why I was so proud to secure $2 million in federal funding for a new Joint Fire Training Center in Arcadia. Through this partnership between the Arcadia Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service, firefighters will receive essential regional training, improve coordination between agencies, and become better equipped to protect families across the San Gabriel Valley for years to come.”
The federal funding will benefit Arcadia, the U.S. Forest Service and neighboring communities throughout the San Gabriel Valley that face hazardous wildfire conditions, officials said.
“The Joint Training Center project is an example of the continued partnership and collaboration between the U.S. Forest Service and the City of Arcadia that will serve our firefighters and the people of our local foothills for years to come,” Robert Garcia, USFS Angeles National Forest Fire Chief, said in a statement.
With funding in place, the next phase of the project includes a detailed site assessment and design process, according to the city. Although the project was last estimated at $2.7 million, rising construction costs and inflation may require additional resources.
Officials said updates on the project will be on the city’s website ArcadiaCA.gov.