Ed. Note: The following is a news release courtesy of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. 

Santa Clarita is still in a dry season which means high fire chances for our valley. The Los Angeles County Fire Chief issued a letter concerning this and ways to prepare for the coming months.

Southern California continues to be one of the most desirable places on earth to live. However, many challenges, including longer and warmer summers, fast-moving powerful storms, and an on-going drought continue to challenge our ability to live safely in the wildland-urban interface areas of Los Angeles County.

The combined effect of years of drought, high temperatures, low humidity, and dry Santa Ana winds have the potential to cause devastating consequences during our fall fire season. As the numerous fires that have impacted Northern California have proven, any fire that gets established near homes will quickly threaten lives and property.

The four year drought has forced all of us to cut back on water usage. However, we would like to encourage those who reside in the wildland-urban interface to continue to judiciously water plants and ornamental vegetation in accordance with your local water restriction ordinances. Proper maintenance and removal of dead material is equally important as it only takes a single ember to ignite dry vegetation.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department continues to take every precaution to protect you and your home from wildfire. In the event of a major fire, firefighting resources will be stretched thin. You can prepare for the upcoming fire season by developing a Ready! Set! Go! Personal Wildfire Action Plan.

The Ready! Set! Go! Personal Wildfire Action Plan is available on our website and provides guidance on retrofitting your home with fire-resistive features, creating defensible space around your home, and developing an emergency plan should your home be threatened by a wildfire and you need to evacuate.

You play a vital role in protecting your life, the lives of your loved ones, and property. Through advance planning and preparation, we can all be ready for the next wildfire. For more information, please visit our website, our Facebook page, or call our public information team at (323) 881-2411.

Stay safe,

Daryl L. Osby, Fire Chief