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How to keep up with Northern California fire safety during peak fire season

It is peak wildfire season, and firefighters from around Northern California are taking to social media to share their best advice for Fire Prevention Week.

If viewing on the ABC10 app, click here for multimedia

It is peak wildfire season and fire departments from around the region are taking to social media to share their best advice for Fire Prevention Week.

Fire Prevention Week is held every year to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire from October 8, 1871. However, October also shares a special distinction in California as one of its peak fire months.

Fire Departments from El Dorado Hills, Sacramento and Ceres are on social media sharing valuable information to help people during the week.

“Look, Listen, Learn”

The main theme for Fire Prevention Week is "Look, Listen, Learn."

Look: Identify potential hazards in the home and address them. This can pertain to cooking, heating, light equipment, candles, and smoking materials. According to the National Fire Prevention Association, cooking is the leading cause of home fires, accounting for 47 percent of home fires each year.

Listen: The smoke alarm is critical in alerting people to safety get out of a house in time. The NFPA says smoke alarms can halve the risk of dying in a fire.

Learn: A fire may leave someone with only minutes to leave a room. NFPA suggests developing an escape plan for all members of the family. This way people can know two ways out of every room, a path to the outside area, and a meeting place that’s a safe distance away.

What you’re Northern California Firefighters are sharing

  1. Lathrop Manteca Fire District: As the grilling season begins to come to an end, firefighters with Lathrop Manteca Fire District shared a video with their community to address safety issues when the grill gets fired up. They’ll update with a new video every Friday.
  2. Ceres Professional Firefighters: Firefighters from Ceres will be updating their social media throughout the week with fire safety and prevention tips. The firefighters are at beginning their social media campaign for Fire Prevention Week, emphasizing the theme of looking for places where fires can start, listening for smoke alarms, and learning two ways out of every room..
  3. Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District: Sac Metro took to social media to remind people that dead grass and light brush can pose fire risk even as temperatures cool. They’re encouraging people to remove vegetation like dry leaves from their roof, refrain from placing combustible materials like fire wood or patio furniture near the home, and to use non-sparking devices like string mowers and trimmers.
  4. El Dorado Hills Fire Department: The firefighters began promoting Fire Prevention Week with a rundown on how to craft a fire escape plan for the home. They included a grid and check list from the NFPA. Firefighters from El Dorado Hills will also be providing public education to schools during the entirety of October.

Fire Departments from Sacramento, Roseville, Fairfield, Vacaville, and Folsom have previously shared the realities of wildfire risk in their communities.

  1. Roseville Fire’s Division Chief Jason Rizzy says that Roseville does not have high wildfire risk and that the flat terrain benefits the city.
  2. Folsom Fire Chief Felipe Rodriguez explains the levels and areas of fire risk in Folsom and what to do in a wildfire evacuation.
  3. Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District’s Captain Chris Vestal explains the wildfire risk and areas of concern for the cities like Rancho Cordova that they cover.
  4. Vacaville Fire Chief Kris Concepcion addresses the areas of concern In Vacaville for the fire department and their strategies to address those vulnerabilities.
  5. Fairfield Fire’s Deputy Chief Matt Luckenbach explains what areas in Fairfield give firefighters the most concern and how to stay updated in the event of an evacuation.

One more before you go... October is a peak time for wildfires in California. The Tubbs Fire, Tunnel - Oakland Hills Fire, and Cedar Fire, the three most destructive fires in California, all happened in October. Tracy Humphrey sits down with CAL FIRE spokesman Scott McLean who explains why October is the worst time for fires:

If viewing on the ABC10 app, click here to watch the video.

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