# US runs year-round fire service in frozen Antarctic desert

2026-08-08T10:53:59+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

Antarctica holds 75 percent of the planet's fresh water as ice, but it is technically a desert, and frozen water cannot fight fires. The US Antarctic Fire Department runs the only full-time professional fire service on the continent, protecting McMurdo Station, the South Pole Station and connecting airfields. The nearest outside help is an eight-hour flight away, and a single building fire could shut down a station. McMurdo's fire department has about 46 staff during the summer peak, with fire engines, water tenders and tracked vehicles for snow. Despite the risks, actual fires are rare. Captain Nicki Schauman told Hakai Magazine she worked two seasons without responding to one, but the extreme dryness and wind mean any fire could spread fast between critical buildings.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/antarctica-is-covered-in-ice-yet-its-dry-desert-climate-makes-fire-so-dangerous-that-the-us-maintains-a-full-time-professional-fire-department/articleshow/133048644.cms>

Tags: Antarctica, fire service, McMurdo Station, research safety, US Antarctic Program
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