Latest news with #CaliforniaOfficeofEmergencyServices
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
How to protect your family, property from wildfires in Oklahoma
As wildfire season arrives, people can cut the risk of wildfire damaging their homes and yards by taking six steps before summer lands and keeping those safety habits in place through the fall. Here are six ways to help prepare your home and yard for fire season, according to Shasta College's Master Gardener Leimone Waite, Cal Fire and officials from the California Office of Emergency Services. Clean attics, garages and building exteriors and keep them clean in summer and autumn. Remove dry leaves and pine needles from decks, roofs and gutters. Thin and prune trees and shrubs located close to buildings and remove the clippings. Don't let grass or weeds grow higher than six inches tall. Replace combustible landscaping with non-flammable materials. Use gravel mulch, rock or other hard-scaping material instead of bark. Live updates: High winds, extreme wildfire risk threaten Bartlesville and Oklahoma Clear anything that burns easily from a space five feet or wider around your house. Remove shrubs, stacked wood and wood fencing, benches and arbors ― especially near windows. Cut back tree branches that hang over roofs or near a chimney. Oklahoma wildfires: 8 things you can do right now to prepare for a fire evacuation Replace roofs, eaves, chimney screens, foundation vents, decks and anything not in good condition. 'Screens should be 1/8-inch or smaller metal mesh; 1/16-inch mesh is best,' Waite said. House numbers help firefighters spot your address in an emergency, so opt for reflective and easy-to-see numbers in non-combustible materials. Remove clutter from your driveway and make sure it's wide enough for fire engines and other emergency vehicles to use. Cut away any low-hanging tree branches from over the driveway. Make sure gates opens inward and are wide enough for emergency vehicles to pass through. Check your local fire codes for exact dimensions. Test smoke detectors to make sure they work and their batteries are fresh. Know how to use and maintain fire extinguishers. Keep them in quick reach in places fires often start, like kitchens. See the OES' fire extinguisher website at Create an emergency plan, including escape routes and where family members will gather outside if fire strikes. Keep escape routes clutter free so people can leave quickly without tripping. Pack an emergency bag with a phone list, first aid kit, pet supplies, cash, medications, extra car and house keys, three days' worth of water and non-perishable food and other items. For comprehensive packing lists and evacuation planning information, see Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: How to prepare your home for wildfire season in Oklahoma
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bass says LAFD Chief refused to conduct ‘after action report.' What is it?
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley has been fired by Mayor Karen Bass, effective immediately, after allegedly refusing to conduct an 'after action report' on the Palisades Fire that devastated the city last month. Bass announced the decision Friday morning, stating it was made in the 'best interests of Los Angeles' public safety, and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department.' The Palisades Fire broke out Jan. 7 in the Pacific Palisades area, burning for more than three weeks, destroying hundreds of homes and killing at least 12 people. The fire remains under investigation, and Bass accused Crowley of failing to complete a crucial part of that process. 'A necessary step to an investigation was the President of the Fire Commission telling Chief Crowley to do an after action report on the fires,' Bass said in her statement. 'The Chief refused.' But what exactly is an after action report, and why is it important? An after action report/review is a tool used by emergency management agencies to review response actions, evaluate effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. According to the California Office of Emergency Services, the report is meant to include an analysis of response actions, suggested modifications to procedures, identified training needs and recovery activities. The review is meant to be used to better prepare for future emergency response efforts by learning from past incidents. The National Wildfire Coordinating Group emphasizes that an AAR is not intended to assign blame but rather to facilitate an open and professional discussion between leaders and teams to identify failures and find areas for improvement. 'It is essential for wildland firefighters to learn from mistakes and to capitalize on successes. It is considered a valuable tool in high-risk professions, where the smallest mistakes can lead to disastrous results,' NWCG states. According to CAL OES, any city or county that declares a local emergency, where the governor also proclaims a state of emergency, must complete and submit an after action report to the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services within 90 days of the incident's conclusion. Crowley has not yet issued a public statement regarding her dismissal, nor has she addressed the accusation that she refused to conduct an after action report. The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, the union representing LAFD firefighters, said they 'strongly oppose' Crowley's firing, and City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez said she is encouraging Crowley to appeal her 'baseless' termination. Crowley has exercised her right to remain with the Fire Department at a lower rank, officials announced Friday afternoon. Her duties will be assigned by Villanueva. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
19-02-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
California sends strike team to Kentucky following deadly flash flooding
SACRAMENTO — California has sent a strike team to Kentucky to assist with the ongoing response and recovery efforts following severe weather that has led to more than a dozen deaths. On Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom approved sending four incident support team personnel from Sacramento, Oakland and San Diego. A spokesperson for the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal-OES) said these four individuals will provide "technical assistance, management and coordination of urban search and rescue resources." The Sacramento-based individual being sent is a member of the Sacramento City Fire Department. "These are highly skilled specialists who will help coordinate teams on the ground and provide expertise when it comes to urban search and rescue during a major storm event," Cal-OES said in a statement. Extreme cold weather including flash flooding has devastated parts of the central U.S. state over the weekend. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the death toll in the state had reached at least 14 on Tuesday. "Our thoughts are with the people of Kentucky as they recover from this tragic flooding," Gov. Newsom said. "Even as we recover from the L.A. fires, we stand ready to assist in any way we can and are proud to send skilled personnel and resources to help in this critical time." Kentucky was among 11 states in the central U.S. under extreme cold warnings as near-record cold temperatures and wind chills in the single digits were expected by midweek, CBS News reported. One small-town mayor in Kentucky said flooding left his community which is home to roughly 7,000 people submerged underwater. Gov. Beshear said at least 1,000 people stranded by floods had to be rescued.
