Major renovations for the oldest structure on the NIFC campus

Did you know? The wildland fire response hub for the entire nation is located right in the backyard of Boise, Idaho.  

Established in 1965, the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) is a 55-acre campus next to the Boise Airport. It houses federal, state, and Tribal wildland fire programs that collectively manage over 700 million acres—one-fifth of the U.S. land mass. NIFC coordinates the mobilization of fire personnel, aircraft, supplies, and equipment. Its 600+ employees also support disaster response efforts for floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes across the U.S. and assist in international crises.   

In August 1970, the dedication ceremony for what was then known as the Boise Interagency Fire Center (BIFC) took place at the newly-built administration building, called Admin 100. Construction began on the building in 1968, to create a home base on the developing campus for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the USDA Forest Service (USFS), and the Weather Bureau (now National Weather Service).  

 Throughout the 1950s, land managers were recognizing that increased collaboration and resource sharing between agencies would enable more effective wildfire response. USFS wanted to establish an air center for fire suppression operations, and both USFS and BLM recognized the critical importance of fire weather to their operations. These needs ultimately resulted in an agreement between the three agencies to build a shared complex that would support fire operations in the Great Basin and across the West. The BLM acquired the land through a land exchange with the State of Idaho, construction funding was included in the BLM budget, and BIFC was born.  

Today, of course, the place goes by NIFC, or National Interagency Fire Center, changed in 1993 to better reflect the national character of its expanding mission. In 1994, the new Jack F. Wilson building was completed, and became the new home of administrative offices for all fire agencies, as well as the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC). The Jack F. Wilson building is named in honor of the BLM director who was instrumental in growing NIFC from a fledgling operation to the national interagency role it plays today – sometimes referred to as the nucleus of logistical support for wildland fire suppression operations.  

So, what has become of Admin 100, the original administrative headquarters on campus? It has served a variety of functions over the years, including supporting aviation operations from the small “tower” located on top of the building, law enforcement offices, and most recently, housing National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) operations. 

 Currently, Admin 100 is getting a fresh new face. The building has had numerous small renovations since its construction but was due for a complete remodel. One piece of the old building that will be staying in the past is the familiar air/observation tower on top, affectionately known to some as the “crow’s nest”. Once renovation is complete, the tower will no longer sit atop of the oldest building on campus. A piece of history, gone but not forgotten.  

 Admin 100 will be closed into 2025 while the structure is being renovated to meet compliance with building codes. Once complete, the building will have new office and support spaces, and two additional external stair towers. If current timelines are maintained, it should be ready to open up again near the end of the year.  

This project is just one of the developments and improvements underway on the NIFC campus. Recently featured in BoiseDev, another exciting building project is the new, state-of-the-art Boise Air Center, a collaborative effort involving BLM Idaho which will offer more than double the space of the previous site and improve capacity for crew and aircraft operations in the Treasure Valley and beyond.