Countywide : Fire Crews Increased for the Dry Season
Firefighting agencies in Ventura County are increasing their crews for the dry season.
The county Fire Department has doubled the number of men on its hand crews, which are responsible for stopping the spread of brush fires by digging trenches around burning areas, said Bill Wright, the department’s wild-land and fire officer.
During most of the year, 10 crew members are on staff. With the start of the fire season, which the department said begins today, the department has added another 12 workers, Wright said.
U. S. Forest Service officials in Ventura County declared the opening of fire season May 1, about two weeks earlier than usual, saying its lands were as dry as in midsummer.
The Forest Service has almost doubled the number of firefighters available in the 556,627 acres of the Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County, said Earl Clayton, public relations officer.
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