California ramps up, adjusts fire fighting efforts amid pandemic

Ashley Zavala reports

SPENDING MORE TO HELP THESECREWS FIGHT WILDFIRES.FOX FORTY'S ASHLEY ZAVALAREPORTS.IN PEAK.FIRE SEASON STATE EMERGENCYMANAGEMENT LEADERS THURSDAYGAVE AN UPDATE ON THE STATE'SPREPAREDNESS FOR ANOTHERINTENSE WILDFIRE SEASON INCALIFORNIA OFFICIALS SAY SOFAR THIS YEAR 4,112 WILDFIRESHAVE ALREADY BURNED WHENCALIFORNIA TYPICALLY AVERAGESABOUT 2500 A YEAR GOVERNORNEWSOME ANNOUNCED THE STATE ISBRINGING ON 858 SEASONALFIREFIGHTERS TO AT LEASTOCTOBER TO HELP BOOST HANDCREWS USUALLY PROVIDED BY THESTATE PRISON SYSTEM ONE OF THETHINGS THAT HAS OCCURRED WITHCOVID IN THAT IS WE'VE NOW.THEN IMPACTED IN TERMS OF ACONSERVATION CORPS AND IN OURPARTNERSHIPS WITH CDC ARE INTERMS OF TOTAL NUMBER OF HANDCREWS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLEBECAUSE OF QUARANTINE BECAUSEOF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEENEXPOSED.

HE SAYS THE RECENTLYPASSED STATE BUDGET ALLOWS FOREQUIPMENT UPGRADES, INCLUDINGNEW BLACK HAWK HELICOPTERS TOHELP FIGHT FIRE AT NIGHT ALONGWITH 80 MILLION DOLLARS TOHIRE 172 MORE FULL-TIMEFIREFIGHTERS EVACUATIONCENTERS WILL BE DIFFERENT THISYEAR CALIAS DIRECTOR MARKGHILARDUCCI SAYS FACE MASKSTEMPERATURE CHECKS WILL BEMANDATORY EVACUEES WHO ARECOVID-19 POSITIVE AND NEGATIVEWILL BE SEPARATED MEALS WILLBE SERVED IN BOXES HOTELS MAYBE USED AN EXTRA MEDICAL STAFFWILL BE ON SITE LET'S MOVECLEAR.THERE'S NOTHING EXTREMELYLINEAR ABOUT THIS THIS IS