Newsom Directs Firefighting Resources Prepositioned in Four Southern California Counties Ahead of Santa Ana Winds and Red Flag Warnings

California Governor Gavin Newsom on October 14 directed CAL FIRE and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to preposition firefighting resources in Southern California ahead of dangerous Santa Ana winds, and placed the State Operations Center into an enhanced readiness posture to support local firefighters and strengthen state coordination.

According to the Governor's Office, CAL FIRE is increasing staffing and positioning engine strike teams across Southern California. Cal OES resources will begin deploying on Thursday morning, October 15, and remain deployed through Sunday, October 18, in Ventura, Orange, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties, with staging locations and assignments set by local fire officials. The Cal OES county-by-county list shows: Ventura County — 5 fire engines, 2 bulldozers, 1 water tender, 1 hand crew, 1 helicopter and 50 firefighters and support personnel; Orange County — 5 fire engines, 1 bulldozer, 1 water tender, 1 hand crew, 1 helicopter and 45 personnel; the City and County of Los Angeles — 10 fire engines, 2 bulldozers, 2 water tenders, 2 hand crews, 2 helicopters and 85 personnel; and Santa Barbara County — 1 helicopter and 4 personnel. Across the four counties, the prepositioned resources total 20 fire engines, 5 bulldozers, 4 water tenders, 4 hand crews, 5 helicopters and 184 firefighters and support personnel, supplementing California's statewide Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System.

"California is taking proactive steps to protect communities ahead of Santa Ana winds and critical fire weather," Newsom said. "By positioning firefighters, engines, aircraft and specialized equipment in areas facing the greatest risk, we are helping local fire departments respond quickly when every second counts. We will continue working with our partners statewide to ensure they have the personnel, equipment and resources necessary to keep Californians safe throughout this wind event."

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, in effect from 6 a.m. Thursday until 10 p.m. Friday, with northeast to east winds of 20 to 40 mph, gusts reaching 50 to 70 mph in mountain areas, and relative humidity levels as low as 8% to 20%. The Governor's Office also said California State Parks and partner agencies announced a new coordinated protocol for closing parklands in the Santa Monica Mountains during Red Flag warnings, to be used for the first time on Thursday, October 15. Utility providers may also initiate Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) in portions of coastal and inland Southern California, the Sierra Nevada, and Northern California to reduce wildfire risk from electrical infrastructure.

The Governor's Office said that since 2019, California's fire protection budget has nearly doubled, from $2 billion to $3.8 billion, with more than $2.5 billion invested in wildfire resilience and forest health projects.

Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 加州消防车队在夜间行动简报现场（资料图）。Government of California／Wikimedia Commons，公共领域

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