Cal Fire fully staffed for upcoming fire season thanks to state funding

SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) – As fire season approaches and wildfires break out all over the Bay Area due to extreme heat, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) announced this week that it is fully staffed and ready to go.

Cal Fire announced it's at "peak staffing, which "ensures all CAL FIRE stations are open and staffed 24 hours per day; response capabilities are enhanced; all aircraft are prepositioned and staffed; and crews are staffed, trained, and working."

The state also announced it treated 110,925 acres in preparation for the season, which exceeds its goal of treating 100,000 acres by 2025.

"Although conditions have varied geographically throughout the state, weather conditions, fuel loads, and the number of fire incidents have guided the Department's thorough response and overall preparedness moving into the summer months," said Chief Joe Tyler, CAL FIRE Director/Fire Chief. "Even as we ramp up our preparations for wildfires that are now occurring year-round, we continue to accelerate forest health and fire prevention projects throughout the state, launching more than 603 wildfire resilience projects from last year's budget, ranging from fuel breaks to prescribed burns to fuel reduction."

Cal Fire is one of 22 state departments who received funding from a $1.5 billion bill to decrease the impact of wildfires in the state. The funding allowed Cal Fire to purchase more equipment for the fire season, such as:

Staff 136 engines in the northern region (an increase of 64) and 126 engines in the southern region, an increase of 16 (earlier than in years past);

12 exclusive-use aircraft are available statewide today, with four additional by July 1, which is on top of CAL FIRE's existing aerial fleet of more than 62 aircraft;

16 additional hand crews are operational now as a result of the budget augmentation for fire prevention and emergency response.