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Fire Officials Warn About Potential For Dangerous Brush Fire Season On South Coast

Helicopter make demonstration water drop during Ventura County Fire Department brush fire awarness event in Simi Valley

Firefighters are gearing up for what could be a rough high fire season on the Central and South Coasts.

Local, state, and federal officials gathered in Ventura County to try to highlight the danger. Ventura County firefighters built a fire break in the rugged, grass covered hillside behind the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, and made helicopter makes a water drop on the hillside. Today, it’s was all for show, and there was no fire.

But firefighters say five years into the drought, we need to be ready for a dangerous high fire season. Captain Brendan Ripley, a Fire Behavior Analyst with the county’s fire department, says this season’s scattered rainfall created a bumper crop of light fuels which can quickly spread blazes into denser vegetation. Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen says with 90% of brush fire human caused, we need to be extra careful in the coming months. He says people need to act now to provide at least 100 feet of brush clearance around structures on their property.

Kevin McGowan, with Ventura County’s Office of Emergency Service says you need to have a family disaster kit, an emergency plan in place, and to stay informed so you are ready in case there’s a major blaze.

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