Amid the worsening drought, Santa Cruz County held a community meeting Tuesday afternoon to discuss fire safety issues.
Santa Cruz residents were encouraged to call-in to the Santa Cruz County Office of Response, Recovery and Resilience from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. to voice their concerns about fire preparedness, evacuation procedures, local resources, and coping mechanisms in times of disaster.
With 95% of California in a severe drought, Santa Cruz officials are wary of a wildfire hitting the County similar to last year’s ravaging CZU Blaze. A county analyst told KCBS Radio that this year's fire season is predicted to be "much more intense."
"The number one thing is being ready for the event of a fire," said deputy Fire Marshall Nicholi Mackewicz. He told KCBS Radio that this preparedness involves a "go plan" for every household, ensuring that each person has a good idea of what to do in an emergency.
Santa Cruz County also recommended that residents create defensible space around their houses. An easy way to start is to swap out mulch for gravel, officials suggested.
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