Labor Day Fire Safety Should Be Foremost on Everyone’s Mind

Since April of this year, we have been experiencing burning conditions unlike any seen in years.  The extremely dry vegetation has become explosive when ignited.  We witnessed this extreme fire activity on the Mountain and Silver fires in the mountains near Idyllwild and we are seeing this activity on the Rim fire near Yosemite that has burned nearly 150,000 acres.  The Rim fire has grown to the 13^th largest fire in California history.

It only takes a moment of carelessness to cause this

CAL FIRE San Bernardino Acting Unit Chief Rod Bywater is calling on everyone to practice fire safety and awareness in everything they do not only during the Labor Day weekend, but every day.  “It is very important for people to reduce the potential for causing fires in the things that they do near and in wildland areas” said Chief Bywater.  San Bernardino Unit Fire Prevention Battalion Chief Preston Fouts says “90% of fires are human related.  With a little attention to our surroundings and what we are doing, we can reduce the number of human related fires.”

 For this last weekend of the summer, please be fire safe and remember “One Less Spark, One Less wildfire.”  For more fire safety information go to http://readyforwildfire.org/.

One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire

The One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire campaign has reached southern California and the CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit is all in.  What is this campaign you might ask, well here's the answer.  The goal of this effort is to reduce property loss and the threat to residents and firefighters by reducing some targeted causes of wildfires.  To aide in that effort, a CAL FIRE cover engine from the Madera, Mariposa, Merced Unit participated in the shooting of campaign Public Service Announcements yesterday.  The video shoot was conducted at the United States Forest Service's Technology and Development Center in San Dimas, California.

Careless equipment use can spark a wildland fire

Waiting for the director

Not exactly what you expect on a cover assignment

 CAL FIRE was one of many agencies there to support this important statewide fire prevention effort.  The PSA's focused in the goals of the campaign which is to reduce wildland fires ignited by equipment usage, vehicle caused wildland fires, and escaped debris fires.  Smokey Bear and Sparky the Fire Dog were there doing their best to help get the message out.  Actress Betty White has also volunteered to appear in the PSA's although the veteran actress was not at the facility.

This is a statewide interagency campaign much like the Ready-Set-Go program.  You will hear the phrase "ALL LANDS, ALL VOICES" throughout this campaign as every agency works to reduce human caused wildfires in California. The campaign has come about through the efforts and support of the U.S. Forest Service Region 5 Fire and Aviation Staff working with the California Wildfire Coordinating Group. For more information about 'One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire" go to; http://www.preventwildfireca.org/

All together..."One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire"