Tag Archive for: fire prevention

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

Gabrielle Canon

In California, a state that’s grown accustomed to months of smoky skies, mass evacuations and the ever-present fear of wildfire, 2022 felt unusual.

Summer came and went, the weather warmed, and the hillsides yellowed across the state, while residents held their breath. But a giant blaze or siege of simultaneous infernos – the events that have defined recent fire seasons – failed to appear.

By the time November rains brought relief to the drought-stricken landscape, slightly more than 360,000 acres had burned. That’s a strikingly low number, compared with the 2.2m that burned on average annually in California during the past five years, and only a fraction of the record 2020 season when more than 4.2m acres burned.

The number of fires sparked remained similar to past seasons, indicating most were stopped before they ballooned in size. Resource availability played a role, but so did helpful timing, as weather conditions continuously aligned in California’s favor, ensuring enough firefighters were available to battle each blaze from the onset.

But even with smaller numbers, the state wasn’t spared. Fires may have been comparatively smaller than previous years, but some still burned fiercely, leaving devastation in their wake. Nine people lost their lives and communities were destroyed. The patches of high-intensity burning that consumed mountain towns and turned tree-covered slopes into moonscapes offer a glimpse of the risks that remain, as well as a reminder that it could have been a lot worse.

“There is this element of luck to it – and this year, we got really lucky,” said Lenya N Quinn-Davidson, an area fire adviser with the University of California’s Cooperative Extension, a research institution. Despite the welcome reprieve brought by fewer acres burned, the dangers posed by the climate crisis have not dulled. She and other experts say the perceived lull is more of an anomaly than a hopeful trend. But it does offer an opportunity.

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For more information about CA 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.

When it comes to protecting your home from fire, it is important that you consider a suppression system custom-tailored to your particular home. Fire suppression systems are determined by federal, state, or local codes – laws which dictate certain suppression requirements depending on the type of materials and nature of the environment. And one area where technology is ahead of standards is in the energy storage space. Residential and commercial battery units often contain powerful batteries, and in many cases can pose a fire risk that can be addressed with a custom designed suppression system.

Fire safety standards exist for small scale lithium-ion batteries – such as those in phones and laptops – but fires in these components are very rare: many are designed such that they fail in safe ways, resulting in fire rates of approximately one in every 10 million devices. Larger battery systems, such as Tesla’s Powerwall home battery, are much newer, and fewer standards regulating both their manufacturing and operational suppression systems exist. While Tesla is known to test these units internally in order to understand their behavior in case of fire, many fire departments have little experience with these units, and no standards exist for suppression requirements in residential spaces.

Buyers considering such devices – either in residential or commercial spaces – may consider contacting a suppression firm for expert consultation. In spaces with other installed suppression systems, the suppression system designer should consider whether or not the type of suppression is appropriate for the chemical battery – in some cases, a wet suppression system may be less ideal than a dry system. Owners in residential spaces, or spaces without installed suppression systems, can consult a suppression profession to determine if suppression systems are recommended.

For more information about custom suppression systems, 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.

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.

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.

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

BY ALEXANDRA E. PETRI, GREGORY YEE

Large parts of Southern California were hit with Santa Ana winds Monday, prompting warnings of possible public safety power outages for tens of thousands of residents, but no shutoffs were required.

National Weather Service wind advisories for portions of the Inland Empire and Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties expired in the afternoon.

The strongest gusts in Los Angeles County, at 77 mph, were recorded by a station on Magic Mountain Truck Trail in the Angeles National Forest, said Kristan Lund, a meteorologist with the weather service in Oxnard. Gusts in Los Angeles County generally reached 50 mph.

Winds had calmed down by midafternoon and conditions are expected to be calmer Tuesday, Lund said.

Meteorologists are eyeing the possibility of another round of Santa Ana winds Thursday, though it’s expected to be weaker than Monday’s event, she said.

In the San Diego office’s forecast area, which also includes the Inland Empire and Orange County, “Santa Ana winds of moderate strength are prevailing this morning, strongest below the Cajon Pass and just below the Santa Ana Mountains,” according to a 9:03 a.m. forecast discussion from the office. “Peak wind gusts in these areas are mostly around 45 mph. The strongest wind gust recorded was 65 mph at Fremont Canyon…. The winds have peaked and will gradually lessen through this afternoon.”

A couple of big rigs flipped on their sides due to the wind, Caltrans reported.

“This seems to be the biggest [Santa Ana event] so far this year,” said Casey Oswant, a meteorologist with the San Diego office.

Conditions for Tuesday in the San Diego office’s forecast area are expected to be sunny with highs in the 70s and light winds, said meteorologist Joe Dandrea.

Monday’s forecast had also called for relatively low humidity, creating elevated to briefly critical fire conditions in parts of Southern California and prompting one of the region’s largest utilities to issue warnings of possible power outages.

The driest and windiest conditions Monday morning stretched from L.A. County’s mountains through the Santa Clarita Valley and the northern San Fernando Valley, and in eastern Ventura County through Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and down into the Oxnard plains, the National Weather Service tweeted.

Southern California Edison said on its website that wildfire risks because of weather could lead to public safety power shutoffs for nearly 40,000 of its customers across Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.

Weather monitoring for power shut-offs ended in the afternoon and no shutoffs were required, said Paul Griffo, an Edison spokesperson.

The Santa Anas, which typically blow most aggressively during the fall months, are known to fuel some of California’s largest fires as strong, dry gusts blow against brush dried from the summer that act as tinder. The Woolsey fire, Los Angeles County’s most destructive blaze, fed off Santa Ana winds in the fall of 2018.

Though Monday’s winds and dry conditions prompted advisories, the event was not long enough for a red flag warning, said David Sweet, a meteorologist with the weather service in Oxnard.

For more information about Santa Ana wind power outages, 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.

a child in a pink costume holding a trick or treat bucket

We are a couple weeks out from the spookiest night of the year, and we are all preparing for the haunted festivities by decorating our homes with the scariest décor we can find and dressing up our tiny humans in whatever monster they want to be. We are sure to think about ensuring our children are safe, but are you giving your home the same considerations?

According to the National Fire Protection Association, 900 home fires are started by flammable holiday decorations every year, and two of every five of these instances started by candlelight. In order to prevent this unnecessary scare this Halloween and keep your little pumpkins safe, consider these fire safety tips:

This holiday is notorious for spiderwebs, crepe paper and loads of corn and scarecrows, stuffed with dried straw and cornhusks – and all of these things are tinder for a stray ember. Keep these very flammable decorations away from open flames and other heat sources like lightbulbs and heaters.

Jack o’ lanterns are required for a proper Halloween experience, but when it’s time to light them up and show them off, consider using glow sticks or battery-operated candles to illuminate your pumpkin creations. If you insist on open flames, be sure to keep them away from walkways or other places they can be accidentally knocked over.

Make sure that your Halloween hauntings do not block any fire escape routes. Home fires can come out of nowhere, so it is important to be able to get to safety in the quickest, most direct way possible. Happy Halloween!

For more information about Halloween fire 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.

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

Over 90 large fires across seven states are triggering alerts over poor air

By Zach Rosenthal

Dangerous blazes continue to spread across the West, with 93 large fires burning in seven states.

As smoke plumes rise into the skies, alerts for hazardous air quality are in effect in parts of Oregon, Washington state, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. A special weather statement about hazardous air quality was also issued in east-central California and western Nevada. The smoke is most dense and toxic near its source but has also expanded in lesser amounts all the way to the East Coast.

Idaho — where the Moose Fire, the nation’s second largest, is burning — leads the pack in terms of large fires, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).

Firefighters are battling 34 large fires in the state, followed by 23 in Montana, 13 in Washington, 12 in California and nine in Oregon. Utah and Wyoming each report one large fire.

In Oregon, eyes are on the Cedar Creek Fire, which has grown to more than 86,000 acres after being sparked by lightning Aug. 1. After days of extreme fire growth, the fire remains uncontained. The rapidly spreading blaze has forced nearly 1,500 evacuations, while blanketing nearby cities such as Bend in dangerously high levels of smoke. Smoke from the fire has prompted alerts in south-central Oregon.

Firefighters are also battling the massive Double Creek Fire in Oregon, which has burned more than 155,000 acres and is currently the nation’s largest blaze. That inferno has prompted the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to issue an air quality advisory for the northeastern parts of the state.

Fire and heavy smoke conditions in the West are unlikely to abate anytime soon, as hot and dry conditions have left forests ripe for fire growth. Red-flag warnings have been hoisted for much of eastern Wyoming because of hot, dry conditions conducive to fires.

Hazardous air quality conditions — air quality index (AQI) levels of 301-plus — have been observed in at least five states, including California, where the Mosquito Fire continues to burn between Sacramento and Reno, Nev., in the Sierra Nevada.

The Mosquito Fire has forced officials to evacuate more than 11,000 people. At least 25 homes have already been destroyed by the blaze, which has torched more than 48,700 acres and is just 16 percent contained.

Other active and dangerous fires in California include the Fairview Fire, which still burns close to the town of Hemet, though it is now 56 percent contained. Downpours from the remnants of Tropical Storm Kay have assisted crews in containing that blaze. That fire has burned more than 28,000 acres and killed two people who were trying to flee the blaze.

As more fires in the West are ignited and active fires expand, the smoke can travel as far as the East Coast and in the past has even blown into continental Europe. Wildfire smoke has been found to be surprisingly harmful to people even far from the source. A study published in 2021 found that three-quarters of smoke-related cases of asthma visits to emergency departments and deaths occurred east of the Rocky Mountains.

“Smoke is not just a Western problem,” said Katelyn O’Dell, lead author of the study and postdoctoral research scientist at George Washington University.

O’Dell suggested there may be a “lack of awareness” in the East about the effects of smoke, “because you’re not in proximity to these large wildfires, and they don’t really impact your day-to-day.”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration described an “expansive area of light smoke” covering most of the Lower 48 state, except for the far southeast and far southwest on Monday. However, computer simulations indicate much of the smoke in the eastern United States is at relatively high altitudes, meaning it shouldn’t substantially compromise air quality near the ground. But NOAA reported some “moderate to thick smoke” had already reached as far east as Colorado, the Dakotas, Minnesota and Iowa.

AirNow.gov, which monitors pollution across the country, showed air quality had worsened to “moderate” in portions of Colorado, including Denver, as well as northern Minnesota and western Iowa on Tuesday.

A total of 49,820 wildfires in the United States have burned 6,726,028 acres this year; both of these numbers are ahead of the 10-year average through Sept. 13.

Research has shown that human-caused climate change has contributed to an increase in the frequency of large fires and the size of the area burned by Western wildfires, as fire seasons become longer and more dangerous.

Jason Samenow contributed to this report.

For more information about fire 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.

a red fire hydrant sitting inside of a building

Now that we are beginning to change from hot summer months to cooler autumn ones, it is important to prepare for the weather changes in order to keep all suppression systems going. After all, it is important for everyone to be prepared for any accident that may occur as a result of unnecessary neglect. This time of year is also notorious for wildfires, so keeping our employees and property safe is of the utmost importance.

The exact maintenance regime needed depends on the suppression system and use case. The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) has guidelines not only for the types of systems that should be used in various settings, but also for the ongoing maintenance of those systems for proper compliance and safety purposes.

The type of system installed, and the nature of the building it is protecting, will determine how often it must be inspected, how often it should be tested, and what type of labor will be required on the system over time. A skilled system designer, such as CJ Suppression, will not only design the system, but can also assist you in establishing and meeting the maintenance and inspection requirements in order to keep your system functioning properly so that if a fire were to occur, lives and property can be saved.

Regular maintenance will identify minor problems before they turn into system failures, allowing you to correct them quickly and inexpensively, rather than allowing them to fail. With automatic scheduling of maintenance activities, you never need to worry about surprise fire department inspections – you’ll be up to date, properly maintained, properly inspected, and fully functional whenever the fire department decides to visit.

a red fire extinguisher with a black background

BY CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ STAFF WRITER

A wildfire near Castaic prompted mandatory evacuations and the closure of all lanes of the 5 Freeway on Wednesday afternoon as triple-digit temperatures hit Southern California.

The Route fire was first reported just after noon and was burning along the freeway near Lake Hughes Road, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

By 4 p.m., the fire had grown to nearly 250 acres as authorities ordered evacuations for the Paradise Ranch Estates mobile home park and structures south of Templin Highway, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

“All residents ordered to evacuate to the north,” the department said in a tweet.

Northlake Hills Elementary School, located between the 5 and Ridge Route Road, was also being evacuated, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said.

Sheriff’s deputies were reportedly helping 10 staff members and students off the campus, Barger said in a tweet around 4:45 p.m.

Two firefighters were transported to a hospital with minor heat-related injuries, the Fire Department said.

Temperatures in the area reached nearly 110 degrees by midday with 12% humidity, according to the National Weather Service.

All lanes of the freeway were closed with southbound traffic being diverted at Vista Del Lago Road and northbound traffic being diverted at Lake Hughes Road, according to the California Department of Transportation.

Footage from KTLA-TV Channel 5 showed flames on both sides of the southbound lanes with smoke rising from rolling, dry hills. The southbound and northbound lanes are separated by a large hill.

A large tanker could be seen dropping fire retardant along the fire line.

For more information about fire 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.

a frying pan filled with food on top of a stove

We all want to feel safe in our own homes. It’s a sanctuary away from all of the outside world’s madness. We kick off our shoes, fix ourselves a nice hot meal and curl up on the couch with our favorite relaxing pastime. We keep a first aid kit handy, lock our doors, we keep our phone charged and close by – all of these little habits keep us prepared for anything.

One of the leading causes of home injuries and deaths in the home is related to cooking. And those of us that are 65+ are at an even higher risk. Unfortunately, we all need to eat. And while all these tips work for everyone, let’s also protect those of us on the latter side of life with these simple cooking tips for fire safety:

Don’t forget. There are times when we get sidetracked – it’s natural. So, if you need to step away from the kitchen for even a small amount of time, turn off the oven/stove.

Keep it clean. Grease fires can start unexpectedly. To lessen the chance of these happening, keep the range clean from grease or other debris that can accidentally catch from a stray flame.

Tighten things up. The last thing we think about when we are in the kitchen is what we are wearing. When cooking, keep your sleeves rolled up to prevent accidentally catching on an open flame.

Test the alarms. It’s important to test smoke detectors on a monthly basis and change out batteries once a year. Keeping these alarms in abundance throughout the house will give ample time to get to safety.

For more information about cooking fire 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.