ST. HELENA ? The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) is formally opening fire season in Northern California on Monday, June 12. The Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit has been systematically deploying resources in response to the drier weather and fuel conditions.
On May 22, the unit began staffing selected fire stations, 11 fire crews and a helicopter. As of Monday, June 5, the unit staffed one engine in each of its 20 stations. The Sonoma Air Attack Base will come online with two AH-1 tankers and an air tactical plane on June 16. Additional engines and other resources will be added as conditions and incident load dictate. Peak staffing will be achieved by July 3, with a total of 31 engines, six bulldozers, 11 fire crews, one helicopter, two air tankers and one air tactical plane.
To meet the staffing needs for fire season, CDF augments its permanent workforce with seasonal firefighters. Many are returnees with one or more seasons under their belts, but for some, this season will be their first. Newly hired firefighters will receive their initial training at a recruit academy beginning Monday in St. Helena. Recruits receive training in wildland fire fighting as well as required certification in hazardous materials and emergency medical response. The unit”s fire crews have completed a pre-season readiness exercise which included a tuned hike, fire line construction, fire shelter deployment and an inspection of the crew member”s personal safety gear.
The crews, staffed with inmate firefighters and led by CDF fire captains, are deployed from two Conservation Camps, which are administered jointly with the California Department of Corrections.
Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Chief Ernie Loveless said he wants to remind residents that they also can prepare for the fire season by making their properties fire safe by creating a 100-feet defensible space zone around their homes by cutting weeds, limbing up trees and keeping roofs and gutters clear of debris.
More information on fire safety can be found on CDF”s Web site www.fire.ca.gov.
