[6] The airport was inactivated in December 1944 with the drawdown of AAFTC's pilot training program, the airfield was declared surplus and turned over to the Army Corps of Engineers.

The base provides initial attack aircraft service to over 17,000 square miles (44,000 km2) of private, state, and federally owned lands.

Up until 1998, Ryan was statistically the busiest air tanker base in the United States, delivering an average of 1.5 million gallons of retardant annually.

Both agencies maintained separate parking, loading and mixing areas but the initial stages of a joint base operation had begun.

[5] From the beginning of Ryan Air Attack Base, Cal Fire and the USFS used privately owned contracted World War II vintage aircraft.

As the years counted off and the flight hours increased these airplanes became static museum displays or were robbed for parts to keep the dwindling fleet flying.

Because of the dwindling air tanker fleet, Cal Fire acquired excess U.S. Navy Grumman S-2A submarine hunting aircraft.

The first two aircraft build-ups were completed by Hemet Valley Flying Service and tested at Ryan Air Attack Base.

The runway expansion would take place on the southwest portion of the complex and require re-alignment of bordering Stetson Avenue and Warren Road.

Also planned are new public and secured staff parking areas, six fire-retardant loading pits to handle inter-agency aircraft, along with equipment tanks, pumps and piping used to mix and deliver fire retardant.

[10] Because of critical need, the strategic location of the base and proven performance and handling of large wildfires, Cal Fire and the state consider the project top priority in the list of firefighting capital improvements.

[9] Apart from hosting Cal Fire air attack operations, the Hemet-Ryan is also home to a Riverside County Sheriff's Office aviation unit.