Cal Fire Ready for Fire Season

Cal Fire/County Fire has increased staffing in advance of what could be a busy fire season and suspended all burn permits as of May 1.

With the weather already turning dry and windy, and after a decent rainy season that saw the return of hillside grasses, the fire service has ramped up its preparations, bringing in more engines and opening the seasonal air attack base at the Paso Robles Airport as of April 25. Cal Fire activated a fixed wing spotter plane and two air tankers. They have 10 fire wildland engines and three bulldozers at the ready too.

They have five hand crews each at the Cuesta, and Ventura Conservation Camps and two hand crews at Camarillo Fire Center available for emergency response. These crews come from the State Department of Corrections and the California Conservation Corps.

All, backyard burn permits issued by the Air Pollution Control District are suspended until the end of fire season, and all other types of burning will now require a Cal Fire burn permit issued by the local Cal Fire stations.

Residents in the “state responsibility areas” (areas outside a city or a special fire district) are required to maintain 100-feet of defensible space around all habitable structures on their property and are encouraged to be vigilant and avoid activities that could spark fires, such as mowing dry vegetation on hot, dry, or windy days.

County Fire Chief, Scott Jalbert said, “We have heightened our response capabilities to deal with the burning conditions, residents need to be prepared as well.”