We had one last night that you won’t see much of anything about because they put it out quickly. You’d be surprised - there’s more fires than most people know. Nate Armstrong: We don’t have a daily count or anything. Have there been any significant fires in the county recently, and what does the fire outlook look like? This interview has been edited for clarity. He also collaborates with other independent fire districts including Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond and Felton, in addition to the City of Santa Cruz Fire Department, Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County and the Watsonville Fire Department.Īrmstrong talked to Lookout about the upcoming fire season and staffing needs.
In that role, he oversees five “volunteer companies” which count about 71 volunteers. In addition, he acts as the Santa Cruz County Fire chief, given the county’s contract with Cal Fire. Now, as chief of Cal Fire’s Felton-based CZU Unit, he oversees about 150 personnel for the Cal Fire stations in Santa Cruz County. He’s all too aware of the conditions that drive fires and what the local staff is equipped to do. While fewer fires have been reported and fewer acres have been burned this year compared to the same period last year, officials fear a scorching fire season is around the corner.Īrmstrong served as Cal Fire’s deputy chief of operations during the 2020 CZU Complex fire, which burned about 86,500 acres and destroyed more than 900 homes in Santa Cruz County. Staffing is in critical need this fire season because Santa Cruz County, like much of California, is in a severe drought. As the prison population declines, the state is finding new ways to staff the crews.
Through agreements with the California Department of Corrections, Cal Fire’s hand crews have long included incarcerated firefighters from state prisons. They also assist fire engine crews by extinguishing hot spots, carrying hoses over long distances and with general logistical support. In the past five years, Cal Fire’s overall budget, which includes a range of fire prevention services, has increased by about 45%: to $3.7 billion in 2021-22 from $2.5 billion in 2017-18.Īrmstrong told Lookout on Monday that a major focus of the spending this year will be staffing hand crews - the firefighters who help reduce spread of active fires by using hand tools to break down dry vegetation. Cal Fire CZU personnel respond to wildland fires and manage fire suppression in local state responsibility areas - or regions that aren’t governed by a local municipality.Īs the state tries to address its increasingly devastating wildfires, it has continued to funnel money toward Cal Fire’s staffing, equipment and forest resilience efforts.
0 kommentar(er)
