Tag Archives: fire suppression systems ca

Keeping Your Cords Sorted | Corona, CA

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Do you have more electric appliances than you have sockets? Are you solving this issue by overloading your extension cords? With the holidays coming up, it is time to trim the tree and deck the halls but keeping your loved ones safe is a top priority. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you celebrate the holidays the most festive ways possible:

  • When buying cords, look for those tested and approved.
  • Don’t overload extension cords with too many appliances – check the maximum capacity guidelines.
  • Plug major appliances directly into a wall outlet.
  • Fully insert all plugs into the outlet.
  • Unplug cords when you’re not using them.
  • Don’t use extension cords as permanent wiring.
  • Avoid running cords through water or snow to avoid the high risk of electric shock.
  • Don’t run cords through ceilings, walls, doorways, or under carpets.
  • Keep cords out of the way to prevent tripping.
  • If you use too many extension cords, consider installing more outlets.
  • Avoid chaining multiple extension cords.
  • Never use indoor extension cords outdoors. Only use the cords marked for outdoor use.
  • If a cord heats up or is damaged in any way, discard it.
  • Always use cords with polarized and/or three-prong plugs or force a fit.
  • When using cord-bundling devices, such as spiral wire wrap, avoid cramming cords together to prevent damaging the cord’s insulation.
  • Never use staples or nails to attach cords to a surface to avoid damaging the insulation.

It is important that you design a fire escape plan in case any accidental fires arise. Having smoke detectors and fire extinguishers will also be beneficial. Having these simple things in place will not only prevent property damage but will also keep you calm if there ever was an emergency.

For more information about extension cord safety, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.

CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.

Preparing for a Fire: Fire Escape Edition | Corona, CA

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When we think of fire safety, we generally keep it to the basics – fire extinguishers handy, smoke alarms installed, and flammable items kept from open flames. But there is one precaution that tends to be overlooked, and it can really lead to an issue if a house fire ever arises: a fire escape plan.

Yes, it may seem a bit overwhelming, but it really is a simple process that will protect everyone in your home. Because believe it or not but preparedness is key to staying calm and safe during the stress of a house fire. The more you and your loved ones are aware, the less chance someone gets hurt, and that’s really what’s important. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) survey, one-third of households have a fire escape plan and feel they are prepared because drills have been practiced. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you prepare your family for any future fires:

An easy way to convey fire escape routes is to draw up a layout of your home. Make sure to notate doors, windows and fire alarms. As you figure out two escape options for each room and a meeting point outside to ensure everyone is out and safe, add these to your plan and hang it somewhere everyone can see.

Twice a year, practice these escape routes, both at night and during the day. The more you’re prepared, the easier it will be to think calmly during a scary moment. At the same time, make sure your doors and windows are easy to open so there won’t be an issue. There may be a time when smoke is filling your way exit, so also practice crawling towards the exit.

For more information about fire escape plans, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.

CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.

These California Communities Face the Highest Fire Risk | Corona, CA

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From pricey gated neighborhoods to rural logging towns.

By Soumya Karlamangla \ Sept. 29, 2021

More than the videos of flying embers and glowing red skies, the images that still haunt me from the 2018 Camp fire are of cars lined up along exit routes, as people desperate to escape discovered they were trapped.

The fire destroyed the town of Paradise and killed 85 people, becoming the deadliest fire in California history. It’s a tragedy that raises an important question as California’s fire season appears to worsen each year: Can we predict the next Paradise?

There are a few ways to think about this, from looking at a region’s risk of megafires to its number of evacuation routes.

California officials rank an area’s wildfire risk — based on its vegetation, fire history and topography — as either moderate, high or very high. More than 2.7 million Californians live in parts of the state deemed very high risk, painted in bright red on the state’s wildfire danger map.

“These designations have proven eerily predictive about some of the state’s most destructive wildfires in recent years,” reads a 2019 analysis put together by several California newsrooms, pointing out that “nearly all of Paradise is colored in bright red.”

California is home to more than 75 communities, including Paradise, where at least 90 percent of residents live in these very high-risk swaths, the analysis found. The extremely fire-prone towns include:

  • Rancho Palos Verdes, Calabasas, La Cañada Flintridge, Palos Verdes Estates and Malibu in Los Angeles County
  • South Lake Tahoe and Pollock Pines in El Dorado County (both were evacuated in recent weeks)
  • Lake Arrowhead in San Bernardino County
  • Kensington in Contra Costa County

But there’s more to the story. This list covers places where a fire is most likely to break out, but it doesn’t reflect what happens once one does.

There were six exit routes in Paradise, but the fast-moving fire closed some and mass evacuations created traffic jams on the roads that were usable.

(It’s important to note that while traffic slowed evacuations in Paradise, fewer than 10 people who died were in their cars apparently trying to flee, according to an investigation by the Butte County district attorney. Most of those killed were older people in their homes.)

Across California, approximately 350,000 people live in fire zones that have no more evacuation routes per person than Paradise, according to the 2019 analysis. The places with relatively few exit routes include:

  • Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Pacific Palisades and Rancho Palos Verdes in Los Angeles County
  • Newbury Park, Oak Park and Moorpark in Ventura County
  • Carmel Valley and Jamesburg in Monterey County
  • Jamul, Ramona and Scripps Ranch in San Diego County
  • Big Bear, Minnelusa and Sugarloaf in San Bernardino County

Still, there are some important caveats here.

Just because there are exit routes doesn’t mean people will actually use all of them. In an emergency, many people are likely to opt for roads they know best, which could lead to traffic jams on the more popular ways out of town.

So, this summer, StreetLight Data, an analytics company in San Francisco, did a slightly different analysis.

Its researchers tallied exit routes in each community and measured their typical traffic loads using GPS data from cellphones. That allowed them to predict which routes people would be most likely to take during an evacuation.

StreetLight identified 15 places in California with more constrained evacuation routes than Paradise, ranging from some of the state’s most expensive gated neighborhoods to remote logging towns.

“It really cuts across income levels and terrain,” Martin Morzynski, the company’s vice president for marketing, told me. “When it’s smoky, things are hectic, what have you, people tend to take the road they know.”

The five places with the most limited evacuation routes were:

  • Bell Canyon in Ventura County
  • Brooktrails in Mendocino County
  • Lake California in Tehama County
  • North Shore in Riverside County
  • Coto De Caza in Orange County

Three major blazes have whipped through Bell Canyon, a hilly gated community home to about 2,000 residents, since Tim Brehm moved there in 1980.

Brehm, a retired high school teacher, prepares his home each year by clearing brush and maintaining hundreds of feet of defensible space around his home.

He knows there are two exit routes out of Bell Canyon but has never used either. He has always stayed behind to defend his property, though he acknowledged that fires appear to be growing more belligerent.

“I always have a viable escape plan: Keep my keys in my pocket and my truck is right there,” Brehm told me. “If everything goes south, then I’ll just get in my truck and go.”

How to prepare for wildfires:

  • Pack your go bag.
  • Ready your home.
  • Track wildfires near you.

For more information about wildfire safety, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.

CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.

Autumn Fire Safety Tips for Your Home | Corona, CA

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As the summer days dwindle away and the cooler nights start to make their way into our lives, it is a time that we prepare ourselves, and our homes, for the colder months that lie ahead. We are switching off the air conditioner in exchange for a heater or fireplace if we aren’t properly prepared, it can lead to trouble down the road. So, for you and your family to be well-prepared for the upcoming weather, here are a few tips to keep in mind during these chillier months:

Smoke detectors/alarms. Being in a wildfire zone is a tough place to be during these later months, so it is imperative that our home stays on alert. Test your smoke detectors and alarms to make sure they are in working order.

Heating devices. As we get chillier, we make our homes warmer. Give your HVAC a quick inspection and change any filters necessary, leave at least three feet around your space heaters, clean your chimney and make sure to have a screen around your fireplace to ensure ultimate safety.

Garden maintenance. Now that we’ve considered the inside of your home, let’s take a look at how to protect yourself from the outside. Rain gutters and roofs should be kept free of autumn’s gorgeous falling leaves because they are dry and can easily catch fire. In fact, your entire yard should be maintained in order to keep the drier debris away from your home.

Fire escape routes. This may seem like a given, but many homes do not have a fire escape plan. Making sure that your family knows what to do in fire will be key to not only their safety but to prevent panic from happening. Knowledge is key to calmness in chaos.

For more information about home hardening tips, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.

CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.

Chaparral Fire: Evacuations in Effect as Fire Burns in North San Diego County | Corona, CA

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By: City News Service Posted at 10:51 AM, Aug 30, 2021 and last updated 2:24 PM, Aug 30, 2021

SAN DIEGO (CNS) — A brush fire straddling San Diego and Riverside counties had burned 1,500 acres and was 13% contained Monday, with some evacuation orders remaining in place along with a smoke advisory.

The wildfire started at 25 acres near the edge of the Cleveland National Forest on Saturday afternoon near Tenaja and Cleveland Forest roads. It exploded to 1,427 acres by 2:30 p.m. Monday. The Riverside County Fire Department reported that one firefighter has suffered minor injuries and two structures were destroyed.

Evacuation orders were in place for areas north of the Tenaja Truck Trail, south of Calle Cielo, east of Calle Collado and west of Calle Be Bietol, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. Evacuation warning were also in place for those north of Tenaja Road, west of Calle Pino/Gallop Lane, south of Hombre Lane and west of Cleveland National Forest Road.

An evacuation center was established at Murrieta Valley High School, 42200 Nighthawk Way, fire officials said.

Small animals can be taken to Animal Friends of the Valleys, 33751 Mission Trail in Wildomar. Large animals can be taken to the San Jacinto Animal Shelter, 581 S. Grand Ave., in San Jacinto.

Firefighters were battling the flames from the ground and air, including the use of four air tankers. Fire crews from the U.S. Forest Service, Murrieta, Hemet and Corona were assisting the 150 firefighters from San Diego and Riverside counties.

The Orange County Fire Authority tweeted a picture of one of its helicopters making a water drop over a home. The smoke could be seen from Orange and San Diego counties.

For more information about home hardening tips, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.

CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.

How Can I Extinguish this Fire? | Corona, CA

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During the summer, we are all more apt to plan our activities outside in the gorgeous warm weather. And many of these activities are going to include fire. BBQs, campfires and fireworks displays are some of the key factors to a fantastic summer.

But there is another side to this summertime fun – fire safety. Because while fire is a key component to our summers, it is important to be safe with said fire. After all, wildfires are becoming a main character here in on the west coast. So, it is important for everyone to be safe and put out the fires before you leave or go to bed for the night. Here are the ways a fire can be extinguished to keep your summer fun safe.

Cooling. It is a good idea to have a bucket of water handy for extinguishing a small fire, like a BBQ or a campfire. Because the water is a coolant, it instantly kills the heat and prevents from spreading. Before you head to bed for the night, be sure to put out the fire so no accidents happen while you sleep.

Smothering. Another alternative to killing a fire is to smother it. When you smother a fire, you basically block out any oxygen from reaching it. And just like us, a fire needs oxygen to breathe.

Starving. Starving a fire is more to do with preventative measures than extinguishing a summer fire. These firebreaks will cause fires to stop in its tracks as there is nowhere else to go.

Interrupting. When you have a chemical fire, water isn’t going to work. In fact, it will make it worse. Using a fire extinguisher will help by suffocating the chemical chain reaction.

For more information about home hardening tips, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.

CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.

What to Know About the Dixie Fire | Corona, CA

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Tuesday: Although it rained on Monday, fire season is well underway. And the state’s biggest blaze is burning near areas scarred from the Camp Fire.

By Jill Cowan | July 27, 2021

Good morning.

There may have been rare July showers in parts of California on Monday. But make no mistake: The drought is still a threat. And fire season is underway.

The Dixie Fire, California’s largest wildfire this year, continued to burn through thousands of acres of rough terrain, prompting evacuation orders and threatening communities in a region scarred by the memory of the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest in the state’s history.

More than 5,400 firefighters were battling the Dixie Fire, which merged over the weekend with another nearby blaze, the Fly Fire, and had burned through about 200,000 acres, according to Cal Fire, the state’s fire agency.

That’s an area a little larger than New York City, and about half of the acreage burned by the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon, the nation’s largest this year. But the Bootleg Fire is burning in a more remote area; 300 people live within five miles of that blaze, according to The New York Times’s wildfire tracker, compared with 4,900 within five miles of the Dixie Fire.

The Dixie Fire started more than a week ago, just a couple of miles from the spot where the Camp Fire ignited, said Rick Carhart, a spokesman for Cal Fire in Butte County. That fire killed more than 80 people and all but leveled the remote town of Paradise.

“There really is so much — there’s no other word for it — PTSD,” Mr. Carhart said. “There’s so much anxiety.”

A stream of firefighting helicopters taking off from a nearby airport in recent days has flown over Magalia, a community that was also devastated by the Camp Fire. Residents there are out of the path of this year’s flames, Mr. Carhart said — but are still afraid.

“They see a helicopter with a bucket attached,” he said. “And it’s, ‘Oh my God, here we go again.’”

The two blazes also bear another chilling similarity: Pacific Gas & Electric, the state’s largest utility, said last week that blown fuses on one of its utility poles may have sparked the Dixie Fire. PG&E pleaded guilty last year to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter for its role in starting the Camp Fire.

Mr. Carhart said that crews have been making progress in controlling the Dixie Fire, and the weather has been more cooperative in recent days than fire officials had predicted. Nevertheless, the size and timing of the blaze — which he said is already the 15th-largest in California’s recorded history — point to a future in which fires won’t be limited to a single season.

“One of the most concerning things about it is how early in the year it is,” Mr. Carhart.

Last year’s record-breaking wildfire season, during which millions of acres burned across California and the West, actually had a below-average start, he said, until widespread lightning strikes ignited tinder-dry vegetation in many remote areas.

Right now, Mr. Carhart said, the thousands of firefighters who are cutting fire lines, dousing hot spots or doing any of the other time-consuming, physically demanding work required of them, are looking at months before there’s likely to be rain, which heralds an end to the most intense fire activity.

In the past, he said, he might have expected a blaze like the Dixie Fire sometime in September — not July.

“We’re all kind of learning that fire season isn’t a three-month or six-month thing anymore,” he said.

For more information about home hardening tips, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.

CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.

Landlord Problems: Fire Protection for Your Tenants | Corona, CA

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When deciding to be a manager of a residential property, it is important that you keep up health and safety standards in order to keep your property safe for your tenants. One of these areas would be fire safety. Because there are loads of circumstances that can happen, extra precautions need to be taken in order to ensure the property will be safe from any and all dangers. Not only for you and your investment, but for your employees and tenants. And one of the biggest, and most devastating, dangers you may face is fire, not only affecting your business, but those neighbors around you. To ensure you have taken all proper precautions to ensure the safety of all, you may need to make a few improvements.

Tenant improvement can be a hassle and a potential danger if not done properly. For this reason, CJ Suppression provides installation, relocation, and rework within tenant improvement and remodels. We will thoroughly modify and add to existing to fire sprinkler systems to ensure the safety of your business. Not only will you rest at ease, knowing you’ve taken care of your investment, you can be sure everyone will rest at ease knowing you are looking after their well-being.

The following are different types of fire suppressions systems that we install and services we provide for all your tenant improvement needs:

  • Fire sprinkler systems
  • Dry/chemical systems
  • Preaction sprinkler system (Single/Double Interlocked)
  • ESFR (Early Suppression Fast Response) sprinkler systems
  • Rack storage systems
  • Roof and ground storage tank installations
  • Underground fire lines
  • Special hazard systems
  • Centrifugal and vertical fire pump installations and upgrades

For more information about fire protection options, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.

CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.

Maintaining an In-Home Sprinkler System | Corona, CA

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If you are one of the proactive families with an in-home fire sprinkler system, it is important that you know that regular maintenance checks are crucial to ensure that you and your family is safe. You may prefer to hire a professional to come in to do the work for you, there are some basic tips to maintaining your fire protection system in the coming months on your own:

Check on shutoff valves. The first step is to make a visual check on all the water shutoff valves to see if they’re all open and if the storage tank is full if they have one. Those living in very cold areas, or have pipes in the attic, should also check the insulation on their pipes.

Conduct flow tests periodically. Flow tests should be conducted every few months. To test, simply open the valve slowly and let the water run its course for more than a minute. Also, keep in mind that if your sprinkler system is connected to the fire alarm, this testing may cause it to trigger.

Check the sprinkler components. Make sure that the sprinkler heads and cover plates are not painted over and obstructions like stacks of boxes and shelves far away from the heads.

Use visual signs. Accidentally locking the sprinkler valves in the closed position by mistake is a common mistake, so placing signs near the sprinkler components can help remind everyone what the correct positions are.

Secure the control valves. Routinely check if all sprinkler control valves are locked in the open position. If your valves are connected to your fire alarm system, you can supervise them electronically or adding LO/TO signs to prevent unauthorized closures.

For more information about fire updates, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.

CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.

Fire Sprinkler System Inspections Save Lives | Corona, CA

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fire sprinklers

We all want to make sure we are protected from fire. Not only ourselves and our property, but our staff and neighbors are also at risk if something happens and a fire breaks out. One way to do this is with fire sprinklers. They are fast-acting and can really prevent damages by fire that would be happening while waiting for the fire department to arrive. But like anything, they become victims to wear and tear. This is why it is important to fire your fire sprinkler system inspected regularly. If you doubt the importance of fire sprinkler inspections, here are a few reasons to convince you why you should take them seriously:

Water supply and pressure. The efficiency of a fire sprinkler system relies on the available water supply. If too low, then the system won’t be able to work as it is intended to and fires will spread quicker, rendering the sprinklers almost useless.

Proper water flow.  While pressure is checked during the initial design and installation phase, continued periodical checking makes sure the fire sprinkler system is okay and working properly.

Obstruction-free. The whole system will also be checked for obstructions that may damage the system. These obstructions are then cleaned out periodically to make sure that the fire sprinkler system works as intended.

It may be required by law. In most states, including California, the National Fire Protection Agency have set out quite a few regulations regarding fire sprinkler systems. They mandate the installation of such systems, especially in commercial buildings, but also require them to be checked periodically by a licensed inspector.

For more information about fire sprinkler inspection, call CJ Suppression at 888-821-2334 or visit the website at www.cjsuppression.com.

CJ Suppression proudly serves Corona, CA and all surrounding areas.