These precautionary measures are due to dry Santa Ana Winds. According to the National Weather Service, above average temperatures and low humidity levels are contributing factors to fire weather.
San Diego county advises residents against utilizing power tools such as mowers during high-fire conditions. People are advised to stay away from dead and dying plants near homes and structures as they can cause a spark if a power tool is required for whatever reason.
A list of guidelines provided by the county are as follows:
- Be particularly careful with smoking materials to avoid accidentally starting a fire.
- Never pull your vehicle over in grass as it can ignite a grass fire. Make sure your vehicle is well maintained as faulty catalytic converters have been a major cause of accidental fires in San Diego County.
- If you have a trailer on your vehicle, make sure the chains don’t drag on the ground while driving and spark a fire.
Staying informed is another way to improve one’s readiness in fire safety. If a regional emergency such as a wildfire occurs, updates and other information will be posted at sdcountyemergency.com and sent out via the County’s SD Emergency app in English or Spanish from the Google Play store or the Apple App Store.
The county also has a cell notification service, AlertSanDiego or at ListoSanDiego that will send emergency messages such as evacuation warnings applicable to impacted areas.
Further updates can be found on CAL FIRE on Twitter in the event of a fire. Weather forecast information and updates are available at the National Weather Service and to find more information about safeguarding homes from wildfires and general disaster preparation, visit ReadySanDiego.org.
