Firefighting in Antarctica

Firefighting in Antarctica is complicated by the harsh conditions of the continent, the remoteness of the locations to be serviced, and the importance of protecting life-supporting shelter from immolation.

Because of this, bases in Antarctica are often designed to mitigate the devastation of a fire by being made up of a number of separate buildings with a significant distance between them.

Station 1 is located in central McMurdo and operates in the urban center of the base and is the AFD's headquarters.

The Station 2 fleet consisted of an ambulance and seven ARFF (Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting) vehicles, which are fully tracked to handle the deeper snowcover that surrounds the runways.

In the winter (February–August), McMurdo's resident population declines to 200 or less and the Antarctic Fire Department staffing decreases to twelve.

[1] On August 3, 1960, a fire whipped by strong winds struck the Soviet Mirny Station, killing eight.

[13] On October 5, 2008, a building at the Russian Progress Station burned down, with one person being killed and two seriously injured, and radio contact with the outside world being lost for a few days.