Crime & Safety

VIDEO: SoCal Fire Agencies Collaborate to Meet Budget Challenge

Fire departments across Southern California met Thursday for an annual meeting to prepare collaborative efforts heading into the summer fire season.

Numerous firefighting agencies met in Los Angeles County Tuesday morning to prepare for collaborative responses throughout the fire season.

"We're all having some economic challenges," Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said, "so it helps for all of us to sit down and talk about how we're going to work collaboratively…"

Ventura County Fire Chief Bob Roper said partnerships with homeowners is also critical in protecting against wildfires and he urged citizens to prepare by using the Ready, Set, Go protocol.

Find out what's happening in Glendorawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We're all partners in protecting the public," Roper said, "but we can't do that alone."

The protocol asks residents to prepare by:

Find out what's happening in Glendorawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • Clearing brush to create a "defensible space" around the home, remove debris from roofs, and inspect ornamental landscaping.
  • Keeping an eye on wildfire warnings and weather conditions through the summer to anticipate when wildfires might happen.
  • Being prepared to evacuate before a wildfire strikes.

Cal Fire Regional Director Dale Hutchinson said that increased rainfall through the fall and winter has resulted in a more vigorous grass crop that he said is already fueling fire activity in the Inland Empire.

"We're already gearing up and having significant fire activity," Hutchinson said.

Cal Fire Acting Director Ken Pimlott said there have been 400 more fires started this year in Southern California than at the same time last year, though he said the acreage burned is about the same.

"With Calfornia's Mediterranean climate, we always have the potential for large and damaging fires," Pimlott said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.