Crime & Safety

Cal Fire to Maximize Staffing in Riverside County Due to Dry Conditions

Starting Monday, March 31, CAL FIRE will move to peak staffing levels in San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

Due to stubbornly dry conditions that have increased the frequency of wildfires across the state, Cal Fire plans to maximize its staffing Monday in Riverside County and other areas to the south and west, several months earlier than usual, the agency announced Friday.

"Even with rain (this month), our fire activity has remained 200 percent over average statewide," Cal Fire Chief Ken Pimlott said. "The rain has been great, but it has not been enough to make up for our dry winter and California's drought."

The annual workforce increases in San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties will allow the agency to staff its stations around the clock.

Find out what's happening in Banning-Beaumontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

So far this year, Cal Fire has responded to more than 800 wildfires. In an average year for the same time period, its personnel would typically fight fewer than 275 wildland blazes, officials said.

—City News Service

Find out what's happening in Banning-Beaumontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.