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The CAL FIRE San Bernardnio Unit wants to wish everyone a safe and successful 2012.
It has been there since the house was built. It is a part of our home life, providing comfort and warmth. It is our fireplace. But, is it safe? Over the years of burning in the fireplace, creosote can build up and cause a fire. According to the United States Fire Administration “Heating fires account for 36% of residential home fires in rural areas every year. Often these fires are due to creosote buildup in chimneys and stovepipes. All home heating systems require regular maintenance to function safely and efficiently.”
Twenty years ago in November of 1991, a magnificent home originally built by Hollywood agent Myron Selznick, brother of famed director David O. Selznick burned to the ground. Located in Running Springs, the 18 bedroom 14 bathroom mansion which overlooked the San Bernardino valley was destroyed when a fireplace fire vented into the flooring and ignited the blaze. Fire investigators determined that over the years the mortar used to build the fireplace had deteriorated and allowed the intense heat into the ceiling area. This heat buildup eventually ignited the wood. Why talk about this? Because it is not only creosote that can cause a fire. In California, the land moves from time to time. These small shakes while not destructive on the outside can be doing damage on the inside.
The point is to make sure that your fire place and chimney are safe and clean. CAL FIRE and the United States Fire Safety Administration offer these fireplace safety suggestions;
On this last suggestion regarding the ashes from the fire place, the importance of this was manifested on Christmas Day in a fire in Stamford, Connecticut where five people died. Fire officials there say that the fire was caused by embers from the ashes of the fireplace that had been cleaned out. Fire officials were not certain if the ashes had been placed in a mud room attached to the house or a trash enclosure next to the home.
CAL FIRE Unit Chief Tim McClelland says “while many people enjoy the warmth of a fireplace fire, it is important to remember that fire is always a danger and people need to be fire safe, first and always.” For more fireplace and chimney safety information go to http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/heating/fireplace.shtm
CAL FIRE and your local fire department want to wish you a SAFE and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
This was a night of reuniting with the current and retired BDU staff and their families...
Delicious family-recipes exchanged at the potluck, raffle, and photos with Santa.
CAL FIRE, the ABC7 Firefighters Spark of Love campaign, the Angel Cars from Fueled by the Fallen and KFRG Radio combined their efforts to collect toys for less advantaged children in the cities of Highland and Yucaipa. The events were held on Saturday, December 17th.
The day began at 9:00 to 11:00 A.M. on the grounds of Immanuel Baptist Church in Highland, California. The donated toys were given to the Highland Police Department (San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department) who already had a toy program in place. It was an honor to collect toys for their program. CAL FIRE and the ABC7 Firefighters Spark of Love program are deeply appreciative of Immanuel Baptist Church's support of the community and the Police and Fire Departments.
The Christmas tree is set up and decorated, you’ve checked the lights and they are all safe. And now, we have put out those wonderful smelling holiday candles all over the house. The CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit wants to remind you to be very safe about using those candles. They can quickly transition from joy to tragedy if you are not careful. According to the U. S. Fire Administration, the majority of candle fires result from human error and negligence. On average 42 home candle fires are reported across the nation every day. That means that more than 15,000 homes in the United States will be damaged every year from a candle caused fire. More importantly, is the human tragedy, with an estimated 166 people killed and over 1,200 people injured from these fires. CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit Chief Tim McClelland says “candles can be very dangerous and you need to be extra careful when using them.”
The U. S. Fire Administration reports that 55% of candle fires begin because the candle is placed too close to an ignition source such as paper or cloth. Twenty percent (20%) of candle fires begin when candles are left unattended or abandoned. Most importantly, one half of all candle related fire deaths occur between midnight and 6:00 A.M.
The CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit and the U. S. Fire Administration has these safety tips for enjoying your holiday candles;
· If possible, avoid using lighted candles.
· If you must use candles, ensure that they are placed in sturdy holders.
· Keep candles away from children and pets.
· Be sure to extinguish candles after each use.
· Never leave burning candles unattended.
· Never put burning candles on or near your Christmas tree.
For more Holiday safety tips you can call your local fire department or visit CAL FIRE on the web at http://www.fire.ca.gov/
Officials from the San Bernardino Unit of Cal Fire have lifted the wind caused burn suspension effective 6:00 A.M. today Monday, December 12, 2011. Fire Prevention Battalion Chief Preston Fouts says “burning will be allowed until weather conditions require the burn suspension to be reinstituted.” According to Chief Fouts, each request for a burn permit will be accompanied with a physical inspection of the property. There will also be special instructions placed on the permits such as; extra clearing, making sure that there is a charged water source immediately available and tools are at hand. “While rain is predicted, fire conditions remain difficult. We want to allow residents in those areas that are able to burn to do so. With the personal inspections prior to the issuance of the burn permit and cooperating weather, we feel confident that with the property owners as partners in prevention with Cal Fire, we can reduce some of the current fire potential” said Unit Chief Tim McClelland.
It is important to realize that the moisture levels in the wildland vegetation remain dangerously low. “It continues to be important for homeowners to harden their properties against the potential of wildland fires” said Chief McClelland. Property owners need to maintain the 100 foot clearance (or to the property line). To find out more about how to comply with the fire clearance laws or to find out ways to harden your home against wildfire, you can contact your local fire department, CAL FIRE or go to the CAL FIRE web site at http://www.fire.ca.gov/ or http://www.readyforwildfire.org/ .
Firefighters in the cities of Highland and Yucaipa are joining together with the ABC7 Firefighters Spark of Love Christmas Toy campaign, KFRG FM radio and the Angel cars from Fueled by the Fallen to collect toys for less advantaged children. This is the 19th year of the Spark of Love Christmas toy campaign which collects toys for the less advantaged children of southern California. With Spark of Love, the toys collected remain in the community where they were donated.
The five “Angel” cars were created by Fueled by the Fallen which was founded by Kevyn Major Howard, known as “Rafterman” from Stanley Kubrick’s blockbuster film Full Metal Jacket. In 2007 Kevyn said “I was watching the nightly news as they announced that 12 died this day and 7 that day”, Kevyn said. “I woke up one morning and challenged myself to name just one person who has died for my freedom”, he continued. “I couldn’t.” So Kevyn decided to do something about it. He started Fueled By The Fallen, a 501(c)3 non-profit. To honor the fallen victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Fueled by the Fallen created the “Angel” cars. At first glance, the five Chevy Camaros lined along a street look like a muscle car show, but a closer look shows the cars are strong support for the families of 9/11 victims. "Inscribed onto these cars are those that fell on that particular day," Kevyn Major Howard, founder of the "Fueled by the Fallen” organization, said. Howard and his organization placed the names of each victim of 9/11 on the five cars to remember those that died and the sacrifices their families have made since the attack ten years ago.
Both events will be held this Saturday, December 17, 2011. The first event is located in the City of Highland at Immanuel Baptist Church, 28355 East Baseline. KFRG FM radio a Spark of Love supporter from the very beginning will be doing a live remote during the event which runs from 9:00 to 11:00 A.M. Immanuel Baptist Church is easy to find and very accessible from either the 5th street off ramp or the Baseline off ramp of the 210 Freeway. Get off on either and go east to Webster. From 5th street turn north and from Baseline turn south.
The Yucaipa City Spark of Love event will be held at AJ Barile’s Chicago Pizza from 2:00 to 4:00 P.M. Located at 32693 Yucaipa Avenue, the Chicago Pizza Factory is right across the street from the Crafton Hills Fire Station and is very easy to find.
While toys of all kinds are truly appreciated, please think about the older children and young teens as well and Please remember to be fire safe during the holidays.
Officials from the San Bernardino Unit of Cal Fire have lifted the special burn suspension in Inyo and Mono counties effective 6:00 A.M. today Wednesday, December 7, 2011. Fire Prevention Battalion Chief Preston Fouts says “burning will once again be allowed until weather conditions require the burn suspension to be re instituted.” According to Chief Fouts, each request for a burn permit will be accompanied with a physical inspection of the property. There will also be special instructions placed on the permits such as; extra clearing, making sure that there is a charged water source immediately available and tools are at hand. “While there is always the possibility of wildland fire, we want to allow residents in those areas that are able to burn to do so and thereby reduce any dead cut and piled vegetation that can become a fire hazard in itself. With the personal inspections prior to the issuance of the burn permit and cooperating weather, we feel confident that with the property owners as partners in prevention with CAL FIRE, we can reduce some of the current fire potential” said Unit Chief Tim McClelland.
The special restrictions that remain in Inyo and Mono Counties regarding opening fires include:
1. Use of campfires is restricted to within established campfire facilities located in established campgrounds open to the public.
2. Cooking fires with a valid permit are permissive when no alternate means of cooking is available and requires an on-site inspection prior to the issuance of a permit.
3. Warming fires with a valid permit are permissive and require an on-site inspection prior to the issuance of a permit when weather conditions exist to justify the request.
4. Burn permits issued to property owners for their parcels will have been inspected to ensure adequate clearance and prevention guidelines to reduce the risk of uncontrolled fires.
5. Project burn permits will continue to be reviewed as set forth by the Unit and local CAL FIRE Chief Officer in that area.
It is important for every property owner to maintain their 100 foot clearance (or to the property line) of their properties. To find out more about how to fire safe your homes and property you can contact your local fire department, Cal Fire or go to the Cal Fire web site at www.fire.ca.gov or www.readyforwildfire.org
CAL FIRE crews have been working in a variety of locations in the City of San Bernardino assisting with the storm clean up. Three crews from the CAL FIRE Fenner Conservation Camp are working to help get as much of the storm damage cleaned up as possible. The hurricane winds that blew through the area Wednesday night into Thursday morning blew debris everywhere, broke off tree branches, knocked full grown trees down and in a few instances, these mature trees caused additional damage to cars and other property.
Working with an agreement with the San Bernardino City Parks Department, the crews have been moving about the city cutting up downed trees and helping to pick up debris along the streets and rights of way. It is undetermined at this point how many days the crews will be assisting in the city.
CAL FIRE along with other fire agencies continue their storm preparedness of staffing additional state wildland fire engines, dozers, fire crews, and aircraft. These state resources will be positioned throughout the state to allow for rapid response into communities and watershed areas that may be affected by a fast moving wildfire.
Residents are encouraged to exercise extreme caution when in or near the wildland or open areas to prevent a fire. It is important that everyone monitor the weather and be on the lookout for fires. If fires occur in the area be prepared to follow all instructions of fire and law enforcement officials if an evacuation is ordered. Winds of the forecasted velocity can cause conditions to change rapidly and the public is encouraged to review “Ready, Set, Go” procedures at http://www.readyforwildfire.org/.
