CHULA VISTA, Calif. — Firefighters across San Diego County and the state attended a live fire training session to learn new strategies for fighting wildfires and fire suppression.
The Chula Vista Fire Department and San Diego County Training Officers Association hosted the training event at a location off of La Media Road.
The goal of the training is to prepare firefighters on best practices for starting and managing fires used in fire suppression.
Fire agencies throughout the state have warned of a potentially hazardous fire season due to the large amount of rain in the state last winter.
The rain produces more growth which turns to fuel in the hot summer months.
CalFire is now recommending that homeowners take preventative measures including clearing space around homes.
Chula Vista Fire Captain Josh Sanders agrees.
"This year we have seen a real increase in rain and that has affected our fuel load. The vegetation has grown and it will dry out. We need to prepare for the worst," said Sanders.
To limit that risk, Sanders suggests that homeowners clear 100-feet of brush around their homes and make sure to have a "go-bag" that residents can grab when and if a fire is threatening their home.