FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Cal Fire says the number of acres burned in the state, so far this year is down dramatically but that doesn’t mean homeowners should be complacent.
Around this time, in August of 2018, Cal Fire says 3,100 fires had burned 600,000 acres across the state.
Cal Fire said while there have been 3,200 fires since the beginning of 2019, only 25,000 acres have burned, due mostly to moisture levels being higher.
Cal Fire Battalion Chief Seth Brown says its still a good idea to keep defensible space cleared around your property.
“We don’t want people to try to do the ‘right thing – the wrong way.’ So, a good example of the ‘wrong way’ would be going out, and mowing your property and cutting the dry grass down at 3:30 in the afternoon, when it’s 105 degrees out and the humidity is low,” said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Brown. “It’s a lot more likely a stray spark from mowing would cause a fire.”
Cal fire has an app that has checklists for homeowners, and there are also tips on their website: readyforwildfire.dot.org
Click to hear the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
