LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, or LNU, is announcing changes to its current firefighting staffing levels while also supplying information on residential burning and our storm-related emergency response over the winter.
On Monday, April 17, LNU elevated to a staffing level II. This means the hiring of 79 firefighters that will be participating in the rehire academy at the Napa County Fire Training Center all week.
After successful completion of the academy, these firefighters will be moved to their assigned stations.
Peak staffing levels are not expected until the summer, dependent on resource needs to match fire conditions.
The oncoming firefighters allow the unit to staff 11 state engines. Of the 79 seasonal firefighters just hired, 37 of those will go to staff these engines.
The remaining 38 firefighters in this week’s rehire academy will be assigned to the hand crews
out of the Hood Mountain Fire Center in Sonoma County.
This is the second year in a row LNU will staff a fully equipped firefighter hand crew, which is comprised of one battalion chief, four fire captains, three fire apparatus engineers and the
firefighters.
Assignments for the hand crew will include day-to-day availability for emergency response and fuel reduction projects.
The 11 state engines in operation for staffing level II are out of the following stations:
• West Division: Santa Rosa, Hilton, Petaluma and Healdsburg.
• South Division: Spanish Flat, Napa, St. Helena and Gordon Valley.
• North Division: Middletown and Clearlake Oaks.
• East Division: Wilbur Springs.
Winter recap
LNU responded to 6,343 total incidents between Jan. 1 through March 31, an increase of 28% for incident response compared to the previous five-year average for the first three months of a year (LNU averaged 4,957 incidents from January-March between 2018-22).
LNU crews responded to increased storm-related emergencies and provided critical services, demonstrating their commitment to public service and community support.
Residential landscape burning status
Currently, in the State Responsibility Area, or SRA, where Cal Fire has jurisdictional authority, burning is allowed across the unit. Burn permits will begin being issued on or after May 1.
Applications can be submitted online at https://burnpermit.fire.ca.gov/ .
That same website contains important information on the requirements and safety precautions you need to know before burning.
It is the responsibility of residents to verify that it is a permissive burn day in your area by contacting your local air quality management agency and complying with any permitting process they may have.
Local air district contacts include:
• Spare the Air (Bay Area Air Quality Management District for southern Sonoma County & Napa County): 1-877-466-2876.
• Lake County Air Quality Management District: 707-263-7000.
• Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District: 707-433-5911.
• Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District: 530-757-3660 or 530-757-3787.
• Colusa County Air Pollution Control District: 530-458-0590.
Cal Fire reports on staffing changes, winter incidents
- LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
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