Cal Fire Increases Staffing For Potentially Difficult Fire Season
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - The drought has moved fire season up this by two months and Cal Fire is warning that 2015 could be a difficult fire season.
"We're seeing conditions that we would normally see in summer time," said Daniel Berlant, Cal Fire spokesperson.
To help meet the growing demand, Cal Fire is looking to hire 3,000 seasonal firefighters across the state. Those additional firefighters are expected to be in place by the first week of June.
But with forecasters predicting temperatures flirting with the 90s this weekend, do we have enough firefighters right now to respond to a major incident here at home?
Cal Fire says it has hired 115 seasonal firefighters in our area. The agency is confident they can respond to anything Mother Nature throws their way.
The vegetation typically still green this time of year is now dead and brown -- perfect fuel for fires. Spring may have sprung, but the region's vegetation has rung in an ominous fire forecast.
"Fire seasons here in California and in the west are about 75 days longer than they were just four decades ago," said Berlant.
With Cal Fire looking to hire 3,000 seasonal firefighters across the state, officials know it's crunch time to get the support staff they need in place before fire season goes from bad to worse.
"We've already been doing interviews with seasonal firefighters. Now we're making those phone calls, telling them to show up on this day at this location and starting their training and getting them ready to staff engines," said Berlant.
So far this year, Cal Fire has responded to more than 650 wildfires. In the same time period last year, crews battled 400, which is a 50-percent jump. It's an upward trend crews are monitoring this weekend when temperatures are expected to reach almost 90 degrees
"We are absolutely staffed to meet the current need. And as the conditions dry out further, we're going to need more staff and we will continue to bring on those seasonal firefighters," said Berlant.
While Cal Fire has also held on to 70 engines from last fire season to help beef up their response, crews are quick to point out your best defense this season starts with you.
"What they can do right now is make sure they're home has defensible space, make sure they take steps to prevent a fire," said Berlant.
The other big Cal Fire is monitoring this year is the water needed to fight these fires.
