What you need to know: Governor Newsom directs Cal OES to preposition firefighting personnel and equipment in anticipation of Red Flag fire weather to ensure assets are in place to respond quickly to new fires.
SACRAMENTO – At the direction of Governor Gavin Newsom, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) today approved the prepositioning of 26 fire engines, nine water tenders, one helicopter, and over 100 personnel to Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Napa, Tehama, and Yolo counties.
“California is facing a combination of elevated wildfire risk and extreme heat in the days ahead. State agencies are closely coordinating with local partners, prepositioning resources where needed, and monitoring conditions around the clock to ensure communities have the support they need. We encourage all Californians to stay informed, follow the directions of local officials, and take steps now to prepare for both dangerous fire weather and prolonged heat.” – Caroline Thomas Jacobs, Cal OES Director
California is expected to experience a period of critical fire weather and heat concerns beginning Wednesday. Red Flag Warning conditions are forecast across portions of Northern California from Wednesday morning through Thursday due to a combination of strong winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation, increasing the potential for rapid wildfire growth. At the same time, elevated temperatures are expected statewide through the weekend, bringing increased heat impacts to many communities and creating more challenging conditions for firefighters and emergency responders.
These preposition efforts, beginning Wednesday morning and lasting through Friday morning, ensure that resources are ready to respond quickly, minimizing the potential impact of new fires. This proactive approach has proven to be a critical component of California’s wildfire response strategy, reducing response times and containing fires before they escalate into major incidents. The preposition program is in addition to California’s Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System, which remains available for emergency response support throughout the state where resources are needed. The staging locations and response assignments of prepositioned resources is at the direction of local fire officials.
Historic investments statewide
Since 2019, California has significantly expanded its firefighting capacity by investing in personnel, equipment, and training to protect communities from increasingly severe wildfires and extreme weather events. Under the Newsom administration, California’s fire protection budget nearly doubled, from $2 billion to $3.8 billion and more than $2.5 billion in wildfire resilience and forest health projects. At the same time, as the state’s leadership hub for responding to and rebuilding after major wildfires, the budget for Cal OES has increased from $1.8 billion to $4.5 billion.
Residents are urged to stay vigilant during this heightened heat and fire weather period. Californians are reminded to:
- Prepare a wildfire action plan, including planning evacuation routes and packing a go-bag with essentials.
- Sign up for local emergency alerts to stay informed about changing conditions.
- Visit CalHeatScore.CalEPA.ca.gov to find heat safety information specific to your area.
- For more information on fire safety and general preparedness, visit Ready.ca.gov