Cal OES Pre-Positioning Specialized Fire Mutual Aid Resources and Personnel in Southern California

Editor’s Note: This information has been updated to reflect the latest updates regarding potential storm impacts to Southern California.

In preparation for a rain event anticipated to impact the area near the Woolsey, Hill, Holy, Cranston, and Canyon fires burn-scar areas in Southern California, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) is strategically pre-positioning critical fire resources and personnel in the designated impacted areas.

These resources and personnel have been dispatched and will be in position beginning Wednesday morning ahead of the anticipated weather. The pre-positioned fire resources and emergency personnel include:

Los Angeles County – Three Cal OES Type 3 mutual aid fire engines and one Los Angeles County Fire Department dozer
Ventura County – One Cal OES Type 1 strike team (five fire engines & personnel) and a county dispatcher
Riverside County -15 Type-3 Local Government Fire Engines, 2 Fire Dispatchers, and 1 Type-3 All Hazards Incident Management Team. Units will be staged at the Storm Baseball Field in Lake Elsinore.

According to the National Weather Service in Los Angeles, rain will develop along the central coast spreading over Ventura and Los Angeles counties Wednesday night into Thursday. Forecasts call for 1 to 2 inches of widespread rain, and 3 or more in the mountain areas. There’s a potential for shallow mudslides and rock falls for #WoolseyFire and #HillFire areas, including the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) & canyons, as well as in the areas of the #HolyFire, #CanyonFire, and #CranstonFire. This rain event is expected to impact the area tonight through early Thursday morning.

The public is urged to remain aware of their surrounding conditions and to avoid outdoor activities that may be dangerous during the rain event. Also, remember to have an emergency plan in place, emergency preparedness kits at home and vehicles full of fuel; sign-up for emergency alerts; listen to authorities and warnings and be prepared to evacuate if necessary.

The California State Warning Center and State Operations Center will monitor conditions and be ready for further resource requests as necessary throughout the rain event.