Butte County- This week, CAL FIRE/Butte County Fire Department began increasing staffing levels in preparation for the summer fire season. As an all-risk emergency service department, CAL FIRE maintains staffing year-round but increases staffing to provide surge capacity during the critical fire season months.
The move to additional staffing comes earlier than normal this year due to lack of precipitation and high temperatures that have produced dangerously dry conditions in the vegetation.
Thirty-two seasonal firefighters were hired by CAL FIRE/Butte County Fire Department on Monday, April 11th. There will be an additional seventy-five seasonal firefighters hired by May 30th to bring the total up to 107 seasonal firefighters for peak fire staffing.
“Every year we rely on seasonal firefighters to allow our department to fully staff engines during fire season,” says Butte County Fire Chief Garrett Sjolund. “With the unusually dry conditions we are currently experiencing, these additional firefighters are more important than ever.”
Between January 1st and April 1st, 2022, CAL FIRE has responded to nearly 1,000 wildfires that have charred more than 6,100 acres statewide.
CAL FIRE continues to ask homeowners to ensure they are prepared for wildfires by creating and maintaining 100 feet of Defensible Space and Hardening Your Home against wildfire.
For more information on preparing for wildfires and Defensible Space visit ReadyForWildfire.org
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