Butte Co. Cal Fire getting ahead of wildfires as state puts $536 million to early prevention measure

Gov.

Gavin Newsom announced the state would put $536 million dollars across the state to prepare in case of another big wildfire season.

Butte County Cal Fire has already started fire breaks and fuel reductions and says the money is a big help.

Bond.

New tonight - governor gavin newsom announced more than $500 million dollars were approved by the state legislature for the state to begin wildfire prevention and recovery.

Action news now reporter esteban reynoso is live in chico.

Esteban you spoke with cal fire butte county, what that money do for our area?

Cal fire says that money is a huge boost in many ways -- but one of the biggest helps they say it brings is more boots on the ground.

That we'll be drawing down $536 million dollars to get these projects moving the fact is with these projects we have going we're gonna be able to remove some fuels in some areas that could potentially stop a fire from growing.

Cal fire spokesman rick carhart says projects like fire breaks and fuel reductions if all approved and done in the coming months like the one you see on your screen now -- could equal more than 24,000 acres of land management just in butte county "as we move into fire season the little bit of rain that we had is going to dissapear and the vegitation is going to be extremely dry."

And that's why crews here got a head start -- "all of it with the goal of creating a safer place in the area where we have heavy fuels and the danger for a potential big fire is there."

"so we're prepared for this upcoming wildfire season."

But it's not just fire breaks and fuel reductions it's also to keep equipment like these helicopters behind me here ready to fight fires at any moment and the money could bring more air tankers just like the ones they have here at the chico air attack base and carhart says the money could be used to increase firefighter staffing which would help in case fires do break out "adding firefighters, we would have more people on our fire stations and on our engines, every person we add is another person to help control a fire and that's the goal of all this."

The $536 million dollars is all part of $1 billion dollars newsom says the state is the $536 million dollars is all part of $1 billion dollars newsom says the state is budgeting for fighting fires this season throughout the state.

Live in chico, esteban reynoso action news now to help prepare for fire season around homes -- cal fire is encouraging control burns -- only in towns and cities it's allowed and with proper precautions before burning like having water and shovel ready