Caterpillar Inc. wins $248,954 JBER wildland fire equipment contract

JBER's Wildland Fire Branch will get a new piece of heavy equipment: a compact track loader to help crews thin vegetation and manage controlled burns.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is awarding Caterpillar Inc. of Irving, Texas, a $248,954 sole-source contract for a CAT 275XE loader fitted with forestry attachments. The award runs from Sept. 3, 2026 through Sept. 3, 2027 under an existing heavy equipment IDIQ, an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract that lets the agency order equipment as needed without a fresh bidding process each time.

In a July 21 notice of intent, the service said Caterpillar is "the only source capable of meeting the technical and logistical requirements without incurring prohibitive costs or delays." The purchase falls under simplified acquisition rules, which let agencies skip a full competitive bid for smaller contracts like this one.

The loader will support fuels reduction work and controlled burns on the Richardson Training Area ranges at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. JBER started burns there May 4 to cut hazardous vegetation and lower wildfire risk to nearby communities, resources, facilities and military training areas.