As a summer heat wave descends on Southern California and much of the rest of the Golden State, Gov. Gavin Newsom's Office of Emergency Management Tuesday announced the pre-deployment of resources to Los Angeles County to contend with heightened fire danger.
Residents are being urged to prepare for higher temperatures and fire weather across in Southern California from Wednesday through Saturday.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
According to the National Weather Service, a heat event is forecast to start Wednesday and last through the weekend with a high risk for heat illness and fire danger. California's new CalHeatScore tool shows much of the state reaching high and severe levels of extreme heat late this week.
Temperatures will range from the upper 90s at the coast to well over 100 inland as high pressure moves in from the east, creating "a high risk for heat illness and fire danger," NWS Meteorologists said.
"Now is the time to check the forecasts for your area and prepare for higher temperatures and dangerous fire weather," according to a release from Newsom's office. "While the best thing we can all do is prepare now. The state is also pre-deploying resources to protect communities from catastrophic wildfire."
According to Newsom's office, a total of 10 fire engines, two water tenders, two bulldozers, one helicopter, two hand crews, three dispatchers and one incident management team have been pre-deployed in Los Angeles County.
"These efforts ensure that resources are ready to respond quickly, minimizing the potential impact of new fires," according to Newsom's statement. "This proactive approach has proven to be a critical component of California's wildfire response strategy, reducing response times and containing fires before they escalate into major incidents."
Cal OES Director Nancy Ward said the state is intent on getting ahead of the upcoming heat wave.
"By pre-positioning firefighting crews, equipment and other resources in high-risk areas, we can respond faster and more effectively when needed," she said. "This strategy is about protecting lives, property and communities by ensuring help is ready when it's needed most."
In addition to resources pre-deployed by Cal OES, CAL FIRE is also ready to respond to any incident that arises.
"CAL FIRE remains fully staffed and prepared across the state as we anticipate increased temperatures," said CAL FIRE Chief Joe Tyler. "Our dedicated team is committed to safeguarding communities and minimizing wildfire risk."
Residents are urged to prepare a wildfire action plan, including evacuation routes, pre-packed go-bags with essentials. They're also advised to sign up for local emergency alerts.
Area-specific heat safety information can be found at CalHeatScore.CalEPA.ca.gov. More information is also available at Ready.ca.gov.
