Fire Season Safety Tips With CAL-Fire Battalion Chief Mike Mohler

SANDRA: WE HAVE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT THIS A LOT WITH HIGHER--
HIGH FIRE DANGER AND IN THE PAST
WEEK WE HAVE HAD BIG FIRES,
HIGHLAND AND THE SANTA CLARITA
VALLEY.
IT'S A REMINDER TO BE
READY AND WE KNOW BRUSH
CLEARANCE IS IMPORTANT,
BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO
THINK ABOUT OTHER WAYS
TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAY.
BATTALION CHIEF MIKE
MOHLER IS HERE TO HELP
US OUT.
WELCOME.
THANK YOU.
SANDRA: WE TALK ABOUT THIS FIRE
SEASON AND WE KNOW WE HAVE THIS
REALLY RAINY COOL WINTER, SO WE
THINK MAYBE IT HELPED, BUT NOW,
WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF FUEL.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
WILL BE WORSE THAN OTHER
SEASONS?
PEOPLE THINK NOW THAT
WE ARE OUT OF THE
DROUGHT THAT WE DON'T
HAVE THOSE CONDITIONS,
BUT IT'S THE OPPOSITE
BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT NEW
GRASS CROP.
WHAT WE SEE, THE PATTERN
IS THAT IT WILL BE A
BUSY SEASON,
UNFORTUNATELY.
SANDRA: WE CAN SEE THE HILLSIDES
GETTING DRY.
IT WAS SO PRETTY AND
GREEN.
EVERYTHING IS BROWN NOW
SO WE HAVE THIS DANGER.
EVEN A CAR PULLED OFF
THE SIDE OF THE ROAD CAN
SPARK.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO
PREVENT THAT?
THERE ARE MANY THINGS
THAT START SMALL AND
TAKE OFF.
97% OF ALL THE
WILDLAND FIRES ARE HUMAN
CAUSED NOT MEETING ITS
CRIMINAL, BUT JUST
NEGLIGENCE.
DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS
PEOPLE TOTE TRAILERS AND
BY DRAGGING A TOW CHAIN
THAT SHOOTS SPARKS.
ALSO PULLING OFF THE
HIGHWAY AND PARKING IN
BRUSH WHEN YOU HAVE A
MECHANICAL PROBLEM, BUT
THEN THERE ARE
COMMONSENSE THINGS, NO
OPEN FIRE PITS IN YOUR
BACKYARD.
IF YOU BARBECUE IN AN
AREA AND YOU HAVE
CHARCOAL MAKE SURE YOU
CAN DO IT, BUT ALSO THAT
YOU DISPOSE OF IT
PROPERLY AND IT BOILS
DOWN TO COMMON SENSE AND
SAFETY.
SANDRA: PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE A
PLAN.
WE KNOW ALMOST EVERY
AREA IS THREATENED
WILDFIRE AND WE KNOW
ABOUT PACKING THE CAR.
HOW DO WE GET READY
WE HAVE A PROBLEM YOU
CAN GO TO, READY FOR
WILDFIRE.ORG.
WE CALL IT READY, SET,
GO.
PREPARE YOUR HOME,
MAINTAIN YOUR LANDSCAPE
AND IF YOU HAVE
FLAMMABLE MATERIALS,
REMOVE THAT.
THAT GIVES FIREFIGHTERS
THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET
IN AND DEFEND YOUR
STRUCTURE.
AND THEN GET SET, IF
THERE IS A FIRE IN THE
AREA PREPARE YOUR FAMILY
EXERCISE AN EVACUATION
PLAN TO MAKE SURE
EVERYONE KNOWS WHERE
EVERYONE IS AT AND WHEN
YOU'RE ASKED TO LEAVE
THE GO PORTION IS PLEASE
IF YOU THINK THERE IS A
REASON TO LEAD DO SO
EARLY AND SAFELY GIVING
US THE OPPORTUNITY, NOT
ONLY LAW ENFORCEMENT,
BUT FIREFIGHTERS TO GET
IN PROTECT YOUR
STRUCTURE.
SANDRA: SOMETIMES IT'S NOT ABOUT
THE PEOPLE GETTING BECAUSE THEIR
HOUSES THREATENED COME IT'S
BECAUSE YOU NEED THEM OUT OF THE
WAY TO DO THE JOB.
EXACTLY AND THAT'S
WHY WE ASK YOU IF TO
EVACUATE, DO SO EARLY OR
DON'T WAIT FOR THE FIRE
BECAUSE AT THAT POINT WE
ARE TRYING TO GET IN
THERE AND THAT CAN STOP
US.
SANDRA: BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE
MAKE WHEN IT'S TIME TO EVACUATE?
THINKING THEY CAN
STAY AND DEFEND THEIR
PROPERTY WITH A GARDEN
HOSE WHEN YOU HAVE A
FLAMING FIRE FRONT IN
YOUR BACKYARD.
IT'S WAITING TOO LATE
AND DECIDING TO GET MY
PETS AND FAMILY OUT IN A
FEW MINUTES.
SANDRA: YOU BRING UP A GOOD
POINT, PETS.
OFTEN WHEN THERE IS
COMMOTION THEY MIGHT
HEAR THE SIRENS AND THEY
RUN AND HIDE.
REALLY, I THINK THE PLAN
IS TO GET THEM SOMEWHERE
IN A SECLUDED AREA SO
THEY CAN GRAB THEM AND
GO.
THAT'S IT THAT'S THE
SAD PORTION.
IF THERE IS A POSSIBLE
EMERGENCY, DON'T WAIT
TILL SIRENS AND IT'S ON
TOP OF YOU BECAUSE YOUR
PET MAY LEAVE THE AREA
AND NOW YOU ARE LOOKING
FOR YOUR PET, SO PREPARE
AHEAD WITH THE FAMILY
AND PETS READY AND LEAVE
EARLY.
SANDRA: WE SAY IT EVERY YEAR,
FOURTH OF JULY IS COMING UP WITH
FIREWORKS THAT OFTEN CAUSES
BRUSH FIRES.
ONE OF THE BUSIEST
DAYS FOR THE FIRE
SERVICE AND WHAT WE
ASKED THE PUBLIC IS TO
CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL
CITY THAT YOU CAN USE
SAFE FIREWORKS.
WE RECOMMEND TO GO TO
THE PROFESSIONAL SHOWS.
WE GET MORE SURGERIES,
BURN INJURIES TO KIDS
AND ADULTS MISUSING EVEN
SAFE SAFE FIREWORKS.
GO TO A PROFESSIONAL
SHOW AND ENJOY.
SANDRA: THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE
AND THANKS FOR WHAT YOU DO AND
THANKS TO EVERYONE AT CAL FIRE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT BRUSH CLEARANCE
AND OTHER FIRE SAFETY
TIPS CHECK ON HER

Fire Season Safety Tips With CAL-Fire Battalion Chief Mike Mohler

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