Firefighters Train In Simi Valley Ahead Of Wildfire Season
SIMI VALLEY (CBSLA.com) — It looked like an all-out assault on a brush fire Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.
But it was only firefighters from several agencies that were on hand to demonstrate their readiness as fire season approaches.
The dire forecast of dangerous wildfires in the months to come is due to a combination of drought, heat and dry brush - a scenario that will likely test the limits of firefighters who will need the public's help.
"Leave early. Don't wait 'til you know fire is coming down on your house," one firefighter said.
Ventura County Fire will go up against flames with tactics such as "cutting the line", along with water-dropping helicopters and structure treatment with a futuristic new substance called Thermagel that prevents structures from burning.
"When you anticipate a wildfire coming, when you know you have one, to apply that to the side of your house, it's a great defender against wildfires," Chief Mark Lorenzen of the Ventura County Fire Department said.
Firefighters also demonstrated their own ultimate life-saving preparation with what's known as fire shelter deployment, a practice only used in desperation.
The goal is to keep the Library and firefighters safe in the dangerous months ahead.
