It may be mid-winter, but Cal Fire officials are urging the public to prepare for the blazing days of summer and fall. And fire season is no joke.
California fire victims have asked for nearly $12 billion in reimbursement from insurance companies just from fires occurring between October and December, according to figures released Wednesday by California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones.
Cal Fire is urging property owners to limb up trees, remove dead branches and clear dry brush within 100 feet of any structure. Garrett Sjolund is Division Chief for Special Ops at Cal Fire’s Butte Unit.
“This is really on the homeowner to look at and prepare for so that they could save their house in a fast-moving fire, because there are times when we don’t have enough resources immediately to get to every house,” he said.
Sjolund said people should take advantage of the current cool weather and lack of restrictions on power tools or burn piles.
The autumn wildfires damaged or destroyed more than 32,000 California homes.
Though the most destructive wildfires occurred in Sonoma County and Southern California, the North State was far from immune.
Fires scorched parts of every county in the North State this past fall, with devastating blazes encroaching on urban areas near Redding, Weaverville and Oroville.