At the direction of Governor Gavin Newsom, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) has approved the predeployment of additional firefighting resources to Inyo County. This move follows earlier deployments this week to Los Angeles, San Diego, Kern, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Bernardino Counties due to elevated heat and critical fire weather conditions forecasted for Southern California through Sunday.
A total of 52 fire engines, 10 water tenders, nine bulldozers, five helicopters, 10 hand crews, 14 dispatchers, and two Incident Management Teams are now staged across seven counties. Local fire agencies assess when their communities may need extra support and request resources from the state. Staging locations and response assignments are coordinated by local officials.
According to Cal OES, “These efforts ensure that resources are ready to respond quickly, minimizing the potential impact of new fires. This proactive approach has proven to be a critical component of California’s wildfire response strategy, reducing response times and containing fires before they escalate into major incidents.” The preposition program supplements California’s Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System which continues to provide emergency response support throughout the state as needed.
California entered Phase 2 of its extreme temperature response plan yesterday due to forecasts calling for high temperatures in much of the state. Under Governor Newsom’s direction, the State Operations Center at Cal OES is maintaining an enhanced watch posture for both heat and fire conditions. Cooling centers have also opened in communities statewide to protect vulnerable residents.
Residents are encouraged to remain alert during this period of heightened heat and fire risk. Californians are advised to prepare a wildfire action plan with evacuation routes and essentials packed in a go-bag; sign up for local emergency alerts; check https://CalHeatScore.CalEPA.ca.gov for area-specific heat safety information; and visit https://Ready.ca.gov for more on fire safety and preparedness.
