Fire season in California traditionally begins in July and runs through October. Unfortunately, we’ve seen a much earlier wildfire season for 2022. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), more than 11,000 acres have already burned throughout the state this year.
Kern County Fires in May and June
Nearly 700 of those acres are in Kern County, started by a blaze that erupted on May 19. Now called the Edmonstron fire, it continued burning for more than a week. If you’re shocked that this could happen before California wildfire season has officially begun, keep in mind that it’s just one of several wildfires that broke out in a 48-hour time frame the week before Memorial Day. The trend has continued into June, with another Kern County fire (the Range Fire) burning 93 acres on June 4.
Preparing for California Fire Season
In light of this trend, fire authorities are warning residents to be prepared for the early California fire season to continue. The Cal Fire wildfire preparation campaign for 2022, called “Ready, Set, Go,” encourages homeowners in wildfire risk areas to take the following measures.
Create Defensible Space
Keep your vegetation “lean and green” (as opposed to overgrown and dry), with at least 100 feet of space around the home. This can slow the spread of a fire and give firefighters faster access to your home.
Harden Your Home
Retrofit your home with ember-resistant building materials, so that flying embers (which can destroy structures up to one mile away) will be less likely to ignite your home.
Create a Plan
Create a wildfire action plan with your family. It should include your escape routes out of the home, and a meeting location outside, in the event of a wildfire reaching your property.
Residential Fire Alarms for Wildfires
One of the most important things you can do to protect your home from a wildfire is to have a residential fire alarm professionally installed and monitored. A monitored fire alarm can significantly increase the odds of saving lives and property; according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), this is because activation of monitored fire detection systems will elicit a fire department response.
If you do not yet have a monitored fire alarm at your Kern County home, Secure Systems can help. We’re the go-to provider of fire alarms for Kern County and Bakersfield homeowners; call us today to request an estimate on installation and monitoring.
About Secure Systems
Secure Systems is a Bakersfield alarm company that installs alarms for homes and businesses. We also install residential camera systems and business camera systems, commercial and residential fire alarm systems, wireless monitoring, remote access alarm systems, access control and door buzzers in Bakersfield and Kern County. Call us today at (661) 326-1747.
