SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — To raise awareness as the region enters peak fire season and highlight steps the City of San Diego has taken in preparation, Mayor Kevin Faulconer joined Fire-Rescue Chief Colin Stowell and City Councilmember Chris Cate Wednesday morning at a media conference to urge residents to stay on high alert, get prepared and keep informed with historic fires raging in northern California.
“The fire season is now year-round in California, so we’ve made significant investments in recent years to make sure San Diego is ready when the next big fire hits,” Mayor Faulconer said. “Our residents can be confident that our firefighters have state-of-the-art equipment available to save lives and protect property. We all remember the devastating fires of 2003 and 2007 and we’re asking every San Diegan to do their part by making sure they are prepared in case of an emergency.”
Faulconer said he and the City Council have directed investments in new firefighting equipment so that San Diego firefighters have the gear necessary to attack a blaze from various angles.
Those investments include:
- Eight additional fire engines specifically designed to help extinguish fires in high density areas.
- Two additional brush engines specifically designed to assist in fighting wildfires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with quick access to the fire, along with water and other necessary equipment.
- A state-of-the-art Firehawk helicopter capable of night-flying and dousing fires with 1,000 gallons of water at a time, including improved safety features to help the crew get closer to the fires in order to help extinguish them quicker.
- Additional investment of $13.7 million to build a storage facility to protect all helicopters from rust and corrosion.
“San Diegans can rest assured that while our firefighters are deployed to help with major fires around California, all of the City’s fire stations are still fully staffed,” said Fire-Rescue Chief Colin Stowell. “We hope residents will follow recommendations to create and practice an emergency plan so that they can be ready in the event of a wildfire here at home.”
In 2020 alone, over 1.2 million acres have burned as a result of recent fires caused by over 13,000 lightning strikes. For comparison, the acreage burnt is nearly the size of the Grand Canyon, according to city officials.
“As San Diegans, we must all do our part. In my district, I have Peñasquitos Canyon in the north, and Tecolote Canyon in the south, with acres of open spaces in between. Make sure you have defensible space around your property, and please check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. And lastly, if you see something, say something,” stated Councilmember Chris Cate.
For more information on what can be done to stay prepared in the event of a wildfire, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department encourages all residents to look at the “Ready, Set, Go!” guide.
You can watch the full live stream below: