CAL
FIRE ISSUES PLEA FOR PREPAREDNESS
Below are two postings from the CAL FIRE website regarding the heightened
fire danger in the vast California brush and forest areas.
http://www.fire.ca.gov/communications/communications_newsreleases_dry_winter_2013.php
CAL
FIRE STRESSES PREPAREDNESS DUE TO LACK OF RAIN
Fire
Activity up Over 45 Percent
An
early increase in fire activity has CAL FIRE looking at the lack of rainfall as
an indicator of a potentially higher fire threat this summer. Since the
beginning of the year, CAL FIRE has responded to over 680 wildfires, which is
more than 200 over the average for this time of year.
“Our
firefighters have responded to an increased number of wildfires due to the very
little rainfall we have received over the past few months,” said Chief Ken
Pimlott, CAL FIRE director. “Last week in Southern California we increased our
staffing and moved our airtankers to their bases, which was needed as we saw
several large wildfires over the weekend.”
In
late March, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) conducted this year’s
next-to-last snow survey and the low levels have CAL FIRE concerned about the
impact to this year’s fire season. This final survey found that snowpack is
just 52 percent of average statewide, according to the Department of Water
Resources. Due to the low rainfall levels across the state from January to
April, this year is likely to go down as one of the driest ever.
The
lack of winter rains has resulted in dry conditions across the state leading to
a number of unseasonably large wildfires that have already threatened people,
homes and the state’s watershed. Over the past few months CAL FIRE crews
responded to an increased number of large wildfires including the 296 acre
Becks Fire in Lake County, the River Fire in Inyo County which grew to 406
acres and most recently, the 311 acre Jurupa Fire in Riverside County.
“In
many other areas of the state we are in the process of training our seasonal
firefighters and monitoring weather conditions closely to determine our
staffing levels,” said Chief Pimlott. “While we are busy transitioning into
fire season, this is the time we want residents to begin preparing their homes
for fire season by creating 100 feet of Defensible Space.”
CAL
FIRE is asking Californians to prepare for wildfires by taking these actions:
- Maintain 100 feet of Defensible Space
- Remove all dead plants, grass, and weeds from within 30 feet of your home
- Trim trees 6 feet from the ground
- Remove all leaves, pine needles and debris from roofs
- Create an Evacuation Plan in case of a wildfire
CAL FIRE Increases Staffing in Southern California as
Fire Danger Rises
HOMEOWNERS ASKED TO PREPARE FOR WILDFIRES
Following an extremely dry winter, CAL FIRE
has increased its staffing in Southern California for fire season. Starting
Monday, April 15, CAL FIRE began transitioning into fire season in San Diego,
Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Over the past month, CAL FIRE has been
hiring and training seasonal firefighters to augment its full-time firefighters
and will now staff most of the department’s seasonal fire stations around the
clock, along with several water dropping helicopters. Unless weather conditions
drastically change, CAL FIRE will begin staffing its airtankers in Southern
California on April 22.
In late March, the Department of Water
Resources (DWR) conducted their monthly snow survey and the low levels have CAL
FIRE concerned about the impact to this year’s fire season. The lack of rain
from January to March across the state is likely to go down as the driest ever
in Northern Sierra Nevada with only five and half inches of rain since January
1.
With fire season now officially underway in
Southern California, CAL FIRE is asking homeowners to ensure that they are
prepared for wildfires and that every home has 100 feet of Defensible Space.
Here are some tips to help prepare your home
for fire season:
·
Maintain 100 feet of
Defensible Space
·
Clear all needles and
leaves from roofs, eaves and rain gutters.
·
Trim branches six feet
from the ground.
·
Use trimming, mowing
and power equipment before 10 a.m. Landscape with fire resistant plants.
·
Use fire resistant
building materials on your home.
For more information on preparing for
wildfires and defensible space www.ReadyForWildfire.org.
This blog,
“AccountantForDisasterRecovery.com” has been addressing taxpayer income tax
issues related to catastrophic losses for five years
All rights to reproduce or quote
any part of the chapter in any other publication are reserved by the author.
Republication rights limited by the publisher of the book in which this chapter
appears also apply.
JOHN
TRAPANI
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It All Adds Up For You
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This material was contributed by John
Trapani. A Certified Public Accountant who has assisted taxpayers since 1976,
in analyzing and reporting transactions of the type covered in this material.
Internal Revenue Service Circular 230 Disclosure
This
is a general discussion of tax law. The application of the law to specific
facts may involve aspects that are not identical to the situations presented in
this material. Relying on this material does not qualify as tax advice for
purpose of mounting a defense of a tax position with the taxing authorities
The
analysis of the tax consequences of any event is based on tax laws in effect at
the time of the event.
This
material was completed on the date of the posting
© 2013, John Trapani, CPA,
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