On Wednesday, May 4th, at 2:00pm at Cub Lake, near the Kern County Fire-Bear Valley Station we will be hosting our Wildfire Awareness Week press conference.
Kern County Fire Chief Brian Marshall will be welcoming CAL FIRE Director Chief Ken Pimlott as well as United States Forest Service Director of Fire and Aviation Management for the Pacific Southwest Region, Shawna Legarza to speak about the upcoming fire season and the importance of wildfire prevention.
This year during the week of May 1st-7th, CAL FIRE, United States Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and your Kern County Fire Department would like to remind residents of the dangers posed by wildfires.
“The rain we received this winter and spring has been great, but with over 29 million dead trees due to drought and the bark beetle, our fire conditions still remain elevated,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, CAL FIRE Director. “While our firefighters are preparing for what could be another busy fire season, this week is an important reminder that all Californians must do their part and be ready.”
As Kern County enters the fifth year of extreme drought, the Kern County Fire Department has already experienced several wildland fires, the largest being the Maben Fire, which burned 90 acres of vegetation in the Rancheria Road area last Sunday.
Kern County Fire Chief Brian Marshall said, “The conditions exist for one of the most devastating wildland fire seasons ever. Our citizens must be prepared by completing their hazard reduction and defensible space requirements by June 15th and have an evacuation plan in place should a wildland fire occur in their community.”
