California bolsters emergency preparedness

As a means of addressing this year’s fire season, California officials are highlighting efforts to bolster preparedness with a series of actions to prepare for wildfires and other natural disasters.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order increasing the number of seasonal firefighters to nearly 400 to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) while additional firefighters will be placed statewide.

“Climate change has created a new reality in California with catastrophic fires, and there is nothing more critical for my Administration than to ensure we are investing in resources that can help firefighters and communities prepare and respond to fires and other natural disasters,” Newsom said.

Earlier this year, Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency to immediately expedite 35 forest management projects, including the North Fork American River Fuel Break near Colfax, to better protect 200 communities most prone to fire risk.

The state budget invests nearly $1 billion in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery to help California communities prepare for disasters.

Newsom’s order directs the hiring and training of additional seasonal firefighters to suppress wildfires, staff fire lookouts and take other needed actions for the protection of health, safety, and the environment during this time of high fire risk; assigns a crew of four firefighters to selected CAL FIRE fire engines as warranted based on fire threat conditions; and enables preposition resources to suppress wildfires and take actions to reduce the threat of large and devastating fires through fuels reduction and defensible space inspections across the State Responsibility Area.