SACRAMENTO – (INT) - CalFire is staffing up for another fire season.

CAL FIRE has already hired a surge of over 400 seasonal firefighters, whose focus includes fire prevention, fuel reduction and defensible space programs.

“While the winter rain has helped decrease the fire risk in some areas, it has not been enough to end the drought,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, director of CAL FIRE. “The rain is welcome, but it will not revive the millions of trees that have already died due to drought and bark beetle.”

Two-hundred-forty fires that have already occurred since January 1st.

Firefighters will focus their efforts of fire prevention. The projects the crews are working on range from removing dead trees, creating and maintaining fire breaks, removing dense brush, performing prescribed burning, and assisting homeowners with education on defensible space.

Story Date: June 23, 2016