Cal Fire Prepares For Wildfire Season

—By Sheila Sanchez

Cal Fire officials have begun to warn the public about an upcoming dangerous fire season, which officially began early this year on May 1.

Agency officials said in a news release that firefighters have already experienced an increase in fire activity and due to low rainfall numbers and dry vegetation conditions, any careless activity from the public could result in a tragedy.

"The conditions right now are what we should be experiencing in June," said Cal Fire Director Chief Ken Pimlott. "This year’s dry winter has resulted in a significant increase in fire activity."

Cal Fire firefighters have responded to nearly 1,100 wildfires this year, 500 more than average, Pimlott said.

According to the state’s May 2 final snow survey, the statewide snow pack water content is only 17 percent of normal. From January through May 2, nearly 23,000 acres have burned in California, which is significantly more than the 1,250 acres that had burned for the same time period last year.

Cal Fire reminds residents to take precautions such as maintaining 100 feet of defensible space around their properties and hardening homes with fire resistant building materials.

Other prevention steps include: 

• Remove all dead plants, grass, and weeds from within 30 feet of your home
• Trim trees six feet from the ground
• Remove all leaves, pine needles and debris from roofs
• Create an evacuation plan in case of a wildfire

Homeowners looking for additional information on how to prepare themselves, their families and their homes for wildfire can visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.