CDF Radio is very easy to listen to. You can read details at "How CDF Radio Works" linked to the left. You can also find every CDF frequency sorted by both frequency, and their use.
Known as a multi-response, all-risk agency, CDF responds to every type of incident that seemingly threatens the 31 million acres of state-owned resources. You’ll find CDF responding to structure fires, auto accidents of all sorts and sizes, hazardous material spills, search and rescue, swift water rescue, aerial short haul rescues utilizing their helicopters, all types of medical incidents for EMT response, public service to citizens to help lift something, and provide highly skilled Incident Management Teams for any type of incident, supporting the nationally-used Incident Command System. The list goes on. CDF also manages the State Forests and educates the state through its Fire Prevention program, both nationally known programs. Wildland fire only accounts for 2.3% of their responses!
Here in the north state, CDF covers almost all the land outside of the national forests. BLM has a lot of land up in the Susanville area and I believe BLM provides fire protection, but CDF will assist as needed. If the forests have a fire call, CDF will assist quickly with the nearest engine, a strike team, helicopter or airtankers. Sometimes a CDF engine will arrive on scene before a forest service engine.
Due to the state budget, only a select few state-operated lookouts will be staffed during fire season. Others may be temporarily staffed only during extreme fire danger. USFS still has plenty of staffed lookouts in the area and most of them can overlook state lands to help with coverage. Lookouts still play a vital role in fire detection in the north state. They provide countless intial spottings of smokes before a cellphone calls 911. All around you can see tall peaks that stick up out of nowhere. Most likely there is a staffed lookout on those peaks. In Tehama County 3 lookouts keep watch over forest and state land and in Shasta County, 5 to 6 lookouts watchover the county. These lookouts have the capability to talk on any of the area CDF and USFS channels.