08/27/2026
Sutter County Initiates Intermittent Fire Station Brownouts Due to Staffing Levels
Sutter County has temporarily browned out Oswald Station 8 (1280 Barry Road, Yuba City) due to low staffing levels, which went into effect at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25. The County developed a plan to rotate brownouts between two Sutter County Fire Department stations until staffing levels allow operations to resume safely.
Brownouts are a last-resort staffing measure necessary to ensure fire personnel can operate safely while maintaining emergency response coverage through other available resources.
Sutter County Fire Department currently has four fire engineer vacancies across its three stations. Five additional team members are currently on leave. This leaves staffing at critically low levels.
“We recognize the importance of maintaining reliable emergency response coverage throughout Sutter County,” said Sutter County Fire Chief Kyle Long. “We have a plan in place to address current staffing challenges. The County is actively recruiting additional personnel and has expedited the interview and hiring process to bring staffing to a level necessary to operate all stations at a capacity that ensures the safety of personnel and the community."
As part of a plan to mitigate service impacts, the County will rotate the brownout between Oswald Station 8 and Sutter Station 6 (2340 California St., Sutter) every 48 hours to provide coverage to rural residents at the highest possible level. During the intermittent brownout, other Sutter County stations are providing primary response. Yuba City Fire and surrounding agencies will provide assistance when available.
Sutter County appreciates the cooperation of its emergency response partners and the community as the department works to maintain the most effective coverage possible while addressing current staffing challenges.