RAMONA, Calif. — Cal Fire kicked off wildfire preparedness week at the Ramona Air Attack Base, reminding residents to take precautions as we head into wildfire season.
"We haven't seen a whole of of big fires in San Diego recently, but the grass is all dying, the brush is drying out. Moisture levels are dropping, so we have a lot of potential for a big fire to happen," said Captain Thomas Shoots of Cal Fire.
Monday's event was the first of several events across the state Cal Fire is holding this week. Cal Fire will also hold events in Ventura County, Monterey County, Sonoma County and in Fresno County.
On display Monday were helicopters, airplanes and fire trucks.
Captain Shoots said residents should take advantage of cooler temperatures in the mornings or evenings to clear defensible space around their homes. He encourages everyone to have a go-bag ready and an evacuation plan in place.
This year, Governor Newsom’s proposed budget for CAL FIRE allocates more than $3 billion for fire management, fire prevention, mitigation efforts including prescribed fire and fuel breaks, forest health, and home hardening.
Almost half of the state’s largest and most damaging wildfires occurred in 2020 and 2021, and more than 6.8 million acres burned during this time. Lack of rainfall, with above normal temperatures through the spring, will leave fuel moisture levels lower than normal, increasing the potential for wildland fire activity. In 2022, CAL FIRE has already responded to more than 1,400 wildfires, burning more than 6,500 acres on state and federal lands combined.
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