WILDFIRE PLEA
As season expands year round, KCFD calls on citizens to act
Last year was the worst wildfire year in state history, but that record may fall in 2021. As California faces months of drought, the upcoming fire season has the potential to be one of the most destructive ever. Wet seasons in the recent past have done little to mitigate the dry conditions in which most of the state’s wild areas now exist.
Even during the relatively wet winter last year, wildfires still ripped through the California countryside as never before. To help prevent disasters related to fire spread, the Kern County Fire Department held a press conference Wednesday to spread awareness about how local residents can prepare for fire emergencies.
“The fire season of 2020 saw over 4 million acres of California destroyed by wildfire, more than double any other year recorded in fire history,” Kern County Fire Chief David Witt said during the press conference. “Megafires are becoming customary, and it’s going to take a multifaceted approach to attack these fires, both while they are occurring and before they occur.”
To combat devastating wildfire spread, KCFD reminded the public that many homeowners in rural areas must allow 30 feet of clearance and 100 feet (or to the property line) of fuel reduction around structures. Any vegetation within the zones should be green, ornamental trees, along with grass and shrubs only, according to KCFD. The vegetation should also be spaced out to discourage fire spread.
The fire department conducts inspections on properties that require the clearance, issuing fines for non-compliant owners. But for those property owners who have yet to cut out their defensible space, KCFD encourages work to be done in the morning.
“Even the act of mowing your lawn during the hottest time of day can ignite a fire with catastrophic side effects,” said KCFD Public Information Officer Andrew Freeborn. “So please create that defensible space around your property and do it early, when it is safe to do so.”
Individuals can also sign up for ReadyKern, an alert system for local emergencies. Registration can take
place online at www.kerncountyfire.org/en/education/readykern.html.
Residents can also provide information about their households and properties to first responders in case an emergency occurs through Community Connect. If a fire does happen, the information could prove vital for firefighters attempting to save the property. Visit www.communityconnect.io/info/cakerncounty for more information.
As global warming turns the wildfire season into something more akin to a wildfire year, effective prevention measures are proving to be more important than ever. Already, Kern County has experienced 4,000 acres burned in 2021 before the typical June through October fire season begins.
“Every year, with continued drought, it seems to continually ramp up. Then after that you have heavy rainfall and then you might have floods or mudslides and we’ve been assisting with that with our rescue teams as well,” Bakersfield Fire Chief Anthony Galagaza said following the press conference. “Bakersfield city firefighters understand when that’s going to happen, when that season ramps up, that they have to be on the ready, that some vacations are cut short, or that they may have to stay in town a little bit longer, do extended periods of work and we just know that. That comes with the job.”