Keep Your Fire Guard Up!

With the extreme fire hazard that exists across San Bernardino County and the Inland Empire everyone needs to “keep their guard up”  as the potential for wildfire grows with the arrival of the Santa Ana wind period. The “Devil Winds” as they are known, race through Southern California primarily during the months of October through December.  However, it is not unusual to experience Santa Ana winds as early as September or into the next year. The fire activity that we have witnessed the past few months has been very active and severe without the driving hot, dry Santa Ana winds.

Many of California’s most disastrous fires have been driven by strong, dry Santa Ana winds.  Eleven of the twenty largest California wildland fires by structures destroyed occurred in Southern California between September and November. This includes the Panorama fire of November 1980, that destroyed 345 structures and killed four people, the 2003 Grand Prix and Old fires and the deadly Esparanza fire.

CAL FIRE San Bernardino Acting Unit Chief Rod Bywater says “fire is everyone’s fight. Fire safety and prevention needs to be on the mind of everyone, especially those who live and recreate in the mountains and wildland areas”.  CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit Fire Prevention Battalion Chief Preston Fouts reminds us that “that one less spark can result in one less fire.  By being fire safe, people really can make a difference in preventing fires from starting in the first place.” It is also a good idea to see if the clearance around your property is still good.  Even if you did your clearance in the spring, you should give the property a once over so that you have good defensible space around your structures.  This defensible space provides firefighters the area they need to mount an effective defense of your home. 

 

According to weather experts, the Santa Ana wind cycle begins when high pressure from the high desert of the Great Basin pushes hot dry winds into Southern California.  These winds initially occur approximately every ten days.  The frequency of the wind events increases as the weeks go by until December when the winds events can happen about every three or four days.  The racing winds, dry weather, and low humidity combine to create a prescription for disaster.

 Another reason that makes the Santa Ana winds so dangerous is their appeal to arsonists.  The hot and dry vegetation beckons to the destructive tendencies of an arsonist.  With this in mind, it is very important for residents everywhere especially in the mountain and wildland areas to pay attention to suspicious actions.  If you see something suspicious report it to CAL FIRE, your local fire agency or law enforcement.

 The arson fires from 1993 were the catalyst for the 1994 “One Strike for Arson” law.  It punishes any person who willfully, maliciously, deliberately, with premeditation and with specific intent, sets fire to, burns, or causes to be burned, any residence, structure, forest land or property.  That person when convicted is guilty of aggravated arson.  According to this law, if any one or more of the specified aggravated factors exists, the person convicted SHALL not be eligible for probation and SHALL be imprisoned in state prison for ten years to life.

 Firefighters need your help to combat arson and wildfire.  The vegetation is tender dry and with low humidity and high winds, very susceptible to ignition.  Almost any type of heat source can start a fire in these conditions.  If you see a fire, no matter what size, report it to the nearest fire department or call “911”.  Please do not assume that another person made the call.  The quicker the public reports a fire, the faster firefighters can respond.  Remember, “fire is everyone’s fight” and if you have information about how a fire started, report it to the fire department or law enforcement.

CAL FIRE  San Bernardino Unit  Fire Prevention Battalion Chief Preston Fouts says “preventing fires is everyone’s business.  If we work together, we can keep our homes and property, recreational areas and most of all our loved ones safe from the ravages of wildfire”.  For more information go to http://www.preventwildfireca.org/

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"