KCFD prepares for an extended fire season

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – (KBAK/FOX58) By 2024, several thousand fires have already raged in California. And the traditional fire season has not even begun yet.

September 22nd is the start of fall, and that usually means the start of fire season. For Californians, fire season starts much earlier these days. In Kern County, the season begins in May this year, when the School Fire burned 1,000 acres in Maricopa. Kern County Fire Chief Andrew Freeborn was there, as was his department at several fires in the Sierra Mountain foothills.

“Fire can spread very quickly when it is blown by the wind,” Freeborn said.

Freeborn said all of his crews are prepared and there is a supply of flame retardant ready to be used if needed. While two consecutive wet years led to unprecedented grass growth, the rainy season increased the amount of water the department could use to fight the flames. The veteran captain remains prepared for the toughest stretch of the fire season yet.

“We’re deploying a lot of equipment, we’re deploying a lot of firefighters, a lot of soldiers,” Freeborn said. “That’s not going to change well into the fall months.”

Freeborn strongly recommends maintaining homes and using defensible areas. Click here to learn how to protect your home with an inspection by the Kern County Fire Department.