Firefighters Extinguish Vegetation Fire in a Vacant Lot

California has already experienced an increase in fire activity, and the North County Fire Authority and Cal Fire officials are reminding all Pacifica residents to cut down and remove all dry vegetation around their homes and businesses and to consider fire safe landscaping.

A one-acre vegetation fire at the intersection of Hanover Street and Wellington Avenue in Daly City Wednesday serves as a reminder that this year’s dry winter has resulted in very dry conditions this spring, said North County Fire Authority officials.

At 2:10 p.m. firefighters responded to the fire on a vacant lot. The first arriving fire company on scene prevented the fire from spreading to a nearby structure. The incident was mitigated, including mop up and overhaul, in less then two hours. There were no injuries to the firefighters or the public, nor was there any property damage caused by the fire, according to North County Fire Authority officials.

The fire is under investigation by the Fire Prevention Services Bureau.

“The conditions right now are what we should be experiencing in June,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, Cal Fire Director. “This year’s dry winter has resulted in a significant increase in fire activity, in fact Cal Fire firefighters have responded to nearly 1,100 wildfires this year, which is over 500 more than average.”

According to the state’s final snow survey on May 2, the statewide snowpack water content is only 17 percent of normal. From January through May 2, nearly 23,000 acres have burned in California, which is significantly more than the 1,250 acres that had burned for the same time period last year.

Being ready for a wildfire starts by maintaining 100 feet of Defensible Space and hardening homes with fire resistant building materials.

“It’s critical that residents prepare for wildfires by maintaining 100 feet of Defensible Space around all homes,” said Chief Pimlott. “Most wildfires are preventable and we need residents and vacationers to be extra cautious outdoors so we can prevent wildfires from occurring in the first place.”

Homeowners looking for additional information on how to prepare themselves, their families and their homes for wildfire can visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org. The site offers tips for residents to make their homes more resistant to wildfires and to ensure that their families are ready to evacuate early and safely when a wildfire strikes. For more information visit www.fire.ca.gov or www.ReadyForWildfire.org.