Don't get burned! Safety tips to prepare for wildfires

By Miriam Raftery

Hear full interview

September 30, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal Fire Captain and Public Information Officer Mike Cornette, in an interview aired on the East County Magazine Radio Show on KNSJ, offered an outlook on peak wildfire season, information on new Zone Zero defensible space requirements around homes, as well as tips to prepare for wildfires and keep your household safe.

On the fall outlook for wildfires,  he notes that fire season is now year-round. “We’ve seen large fires anywhere from January to December in every different part of the state, every different part of the county.” Now that peak fire season approaches, there is heavy grass from last winter’s heavy rains, “so we’re still expecting potential for large wildland fires through December.”

Recent major fires in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange and San Bernadino Counties should be a "wakeup call" for residents across California to be prepared for wildfires by creating defensible space around homes and being ready to evacuated if needed.

Captain Cornette urges people to maintain defensible space from 0 to 100 feet around your home—thinning fuels in the morning, with high humidity and lower temperatures,  “to make it more survivable.”