‘We got really lucky’: Why California escaped another destructive fire season in 2022 | Corona, CA

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a group of people standing next to a forest filled with fire

BY HAYLEY SMITH – STAFF WRITER

Despite months of warnings fueled by extreme heat and drought-desiccated conditions, California’s deadly fire season ended with remarkably little area burned, with just 362,403 acres scorched in 2022, compared with more than 2.5 million acres the year prior.

Standing in a field of dry, brown grass in Napa this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom and several state officials gathered to mark what they described as “the end of peak wildfire season” in most of California, attributing the year’s relatively small acreage to massive investments in forest health and resilience projects and an expansion of the state’s firefighting fleet.

But although the worst of the season may be behind us, experts noted that the remarkably reduced fire activity is probably less a factor of strategy than good fortune.

“We got really lucky this year,” said Park Williams, an associate professor of geography at UCLA. “By the end of June, things were looking like the dice were loaded very strongly toward big fires because things were very dry, and there was a chance of big heat waves in the summer, and indeed we actually did have a really big heat wave this summer in September. But that coincided with some really well-timed and well-placed rainstorms.”

Indeed, two of the year’s biggest fires — the McKinney fire in Siskiyou County and the Fairview fire in Riverside County — were both left smoldering after the arrival of rainstorms, including the unusual appearance of a tropical storm in the case of the Fairview fire, which helped significantly boost its containment.

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For more information about wildfire season, 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.

Fortis Fire & Safety Expands California Presence with Acquisition of CJ Suppression

closeup red fire extinguisher with soft-focus and over light in the background

Fortis Fire & Safety (“Fortis”), one of the nation’s newest fire protection service companies, has acquired CJ Suppression Inc. (CJ) headquartered in Corona, CA. This acquisition expands the California presence of Fortis, anchored by the inaugural acquisition of VFS Fire & Security Services (“VFS”) headquartered in Orange County, California.

“Fortis is excited to welcome the CJ Suppression team into the Fortis family,” said Rich Ennis, Chief Executive Officer of Fortis. “CJ is a high-quality fire protection service company with operations in Southern California that will allow us to expand our foothold and significantly grow our business in California.”

“We intend to continue to invest heavily in our brands across the nation, as we build a multi-regional fire protection service company,” said Ennis. “The culture at CJ is one of customer service and innovation, which fits right into the Fortis model.”

J Moyer has seen many successful years of growth under his ownership tenure of CJ. “Partnering with Fortis was a well thought out and deliberate decision based on our shared values and people first philosophy,” said Moyer. “CJ will significantly benefit from the economies of scale that come from being part of a well-capitalized multi-regional company. We are excited to be able to ensure that our customers and our employees continue to receive the very best this industry has to offer,” he added.

“CJ Suppression strengthens the Fortis presence in California, a key element of our strategy of developing multi-regional capability,” said John Solonynko, COO of VFS. “We continue to seek opportunities to expand Fortis’ presence across the country and are excited about the other acquisition and partnership opportunities in the pipeline.”

About Fortis Fire & Safety

Fortis Fire & Safety is one of the nation’s newest fire protection service companies built on the philosophy of People First, Quality Service and Building Lifetime Clients. Fortis will position itself as the next generation of fire protection by building an industry leading company through close partnerships with regional operators and investing heavily in technology.

Heating Up Your Space with a Space Heater | Corona, CA

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a bunch of different types of air conditioners

Autumn seems to have arrived on time this year. And as the days get shorter and the temperature falls, it is a top priority to keep ourselves warm. For many of us, it is a daunting, and expensive, task warming up a large space. This idea has been replaced with the use of a space heater, a smaller version of a heating system specifically for small spaces. But there are things you need to keep in mind to remain warm – and safe. After all, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that nearly 1700 residential fires every year are due to space heaters, and 81% the cause of house fires caused by heat.

As a general rule of thumb, electric space heaters are typically safer than portable fuel-burning models. Choose a unit that is labeled by a nationally recognized testing laboratory to ensure that the heater meets voluntary safety standards. Overuse, accidentally knocked over by a pet, and faulty wires are just a few examples that could cause your heater to malfunction and unnecessarily cause a fire.

When setting up, keep it at least 36 inches from any flammable or combustible materials and place it on the floor, unless it is designed otherwise. Do not put them directly on rugs and carpets or use them to dry wet clothing.

When using a fuel-fired space heater in an enclosed area, it is a good idea to leave a window or door partially open to allow for fresh air to enter to help prevent carbon monoxide (CO) buildup or a depletion of oxygen. If you smell gas anywhere near your heater, do not attempt to light it. A spark could ignite the gas.

For more information about space heaters, 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.