Heather Earnest

Heather Earnest, operating as CTC Fire, is a woman-owned small business based in Terrebonne, Oregon, that provides wildland fire suppression equipment, personnel, and heavy equipment deployment services to federal agencies exclusively as a prime contractor under total small business set-asides. CTC Fire specializes in wildland fire suppression resources—including dozers, excavators, masticators, skidgines, and water-handling equipment—along with trained personnel for fire response, all-hazard incident support, and prescribed project work across Western U.S. Forest Service regions.

CTC Fire's customer base concentrates almost entirely within the Department of Agriculture. The National Interagency Fire Center and U.S. Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management program account for eight awards with $2.8 million in combined potential value, while the Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Region (Region 6) has issued six awards totaling $451 thousand. The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management Idaho Region has placed two purchase orders for specialized equipment (a masticator and skidgine) valued at $69 thousand combined. These three customers represent 100% of CTC Fire's recent award portfolio by both count and dollar value. The concentration reflects CTC Fire's operational niche: rapid-deployment wildland fire resources in specific geographic zones rather than government-wide contract vehicles or multi-customer platforms.

CTC Fire holds nine Indefinite Delivery Contracts (IDCs) structured as Blanket Purchase Agreements under the Virtual Incident Procurement (VIPR) system, all set aside for total small business participation. Five IDCs with ceilings of $250 thousand each were awarded by the Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Region and the National Interagency Fire Center, with performance periods through 2024–2029 covering Regions 3, 5, and 6. Four newer IDCs awarded February 6, 2026, by the National Interagency Fire Center carry $500 thousand ceilings each and extend through 2028–2030, covering West Zone Regions 3, 5, and 6 and miscellaneous heavy equipment for Region 6 specifically. Representative delivery orders include a $145 thousand order from the Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Region (July 2023) for wildland fire suppression resources in Oregon; a $116 thousand order for the same region (July 2024); and a $38.5 thousand total small business set-aside order from the Forest Service for wildland fire suppression resources in Fossil, Oregon (September 2026).

Activity has grown modestly from one award in 2022 to a peak of six in 2023, then stabilized at two to four awards annually in 2024–2026. Obligated dollars total $559 thousand against combined potential value of $3.3 million (17% realization), indicating that many IDC awards remain underutilized or represent future call potential rather than invoiced work. Four awards with ultimate completion dates between now and September 2026 carry combined potential value of approximately $215 thousand, representing near-term recompete exposure. CTC Fire does not hold positions on government-wide acquisition contracts, GSA Schedules, or multi-agency vehicles; all work flows through Forest Service and Interagency Fire Center IDCs and direct purchase orders. The vendor operates with zero subcontract relationships—all 17 awards are prime awards—and competes exclusively under total small business set-asides.