Cal Fire Increases Staffing in Southern California as Fire Danger Rises

Courtesy of Cal Fire:

Following an extremely dry winter, Cal Fire has increased its staffing in Southern California for fire season. Starting Monday, April 15, Cal Fire began transitioning into fire season in San Diego County.

Over the past month, Cal Fire has been hiring and training seasonal firefighters to augment its full-time firefighters and will now staff most of the department’s seasonal fire stations around the clock along with several water-dropping helicopters.

Unless weather conditions drastically change, Cal Fire will begin staffing its airtankers in Southern California on April 22.

In late March, the Department of Water Resources conducted their monthly snow survey and the low levels have Cal Fire concerned about the impact to this year’s fire season. The lack of rain from January to March across the state is likely to go down as the driest ever in Northern Sierra Nevada with only five and half inches of rain since Jan. 1.

Cal Fire announced they will be conducting a fire preparedness yearly training put on prior to peak fire season to ready the crews for "what looks like may be a busy year."

With fire season now officially underway in Southern California, Cal Fire is asking homeowners to ensure that they are prepared for wildfires and that every home has 100 feet of defensible space.

Here are some tips to help prepare your home:

• Maintain 100 feet of defensible space.

• Clear all needles and leaves from roofs, eaves and rain gutters.

• Trim branches six feet from the ground.

• Use trimming, mowing and power equipment before 10 a.m.

• Landscape with fire-resistant plants.

• Use fire-resistant building materials on your home.

For more information on preparing for wildfires and defensible space visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.

Also read: Santee Fire Guide