The Fire Department is responsible for responding to urban structure fires in Carlsbad. Carlsbad police secure the scene, provide traffic and crowd control and assist with other security activities such as evacuations, if necessary. The great majority of structure fires do not necessitate activating the city's emergency operations center, (EOC). Fire supression activities are always coordinated from the incident command post at the scene established by the Fire Department.

Structure fires which engulf multiple facilities or large areas may require activation of the EOC. In such situations the principal responsibilities of the EOC include incident information management, incident command post support,emergency notifications, and evacuation and shelter coordination. Additional responsibilities may include damage assessment coordination and recovery assistance.

During large-scale structure fires, Carlsbad residents are encouraged to stay clear of the impacted area and consult the Carlsbad current incident Web page and local media to stay informed.