Copyright 2006 The Press Enterprise, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
By JOAN OSTERWALDER
The Press Enterprise (California)
As temperatures and the fire threat increase, Inland fire officials are ramping up their staffing levels at stations throughout San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
Summer staffing levels start today in both counties, said Capt. James Rodman of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection/Riverside County Fire Department.
That means every station will have at least one fire engine on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Rodman said. During the winter, five of the nine stations in each county are staffed around the clock, he said.
Fire officials also are bringing on line air tankers, bulldozers and fire crews, Rodman said.
“We’re at a heightened level of awareness and readiness,” said Doug Lannon, battalion chief and fire prevention supervisor of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in San Bernardino County.
Southern California is never fully free of fire risk, Lannon said. “We can have fires all year round.”
The typical fire season in Southern California runs from April 15 through Dec. 15, Lannon said. Due to the late rains this year, the season got pushed back, he said.
Today and Tuesday, San Bernardino County firefighters will stage their annual fire-preparedness exercise, in which they test their equipment and skills to make sure everything is “up to snuff,” Lannon said.
In July, even more resources come online as the fire danger grows, Rodman said.
People can do their share to help keep fires at bay.
Smokers should use the ashtrays in their cars, Lannon said. “Even flipping the ashes out of their vehicles can cause fires,” he said. “Tossing a cigarette butt out of the window can cause a fire.”
Campers and hikers should use a propane-powered stove because sparks can fly from wood and charcoal fires, he said.
Homeowners need to make sure they clear brush around their homes. Trees should be trimmed from the ground up to at least 6 feet to prevent ground fires from climbing them, Lannon said.
Rodman said everyone should have an evacuation plan in place, leave roads clear so firefighters can get through and not wait too long before evacuating.
“The best thing we can tell people is use your common sense,” Rodman said.