Governor Newsom says preparations for wildfire season are ahead of schedule. Jim Mathias, Division Chief for Cal Fire’s Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit, says they went to peak staffing ten days ago, on June 13th…

click to listen to Jim Mathias

Mathias says that means they have all three engines available, as well as all available planes at the Grass Valley Air Attack Base. A statement from Newsom’s office also credits early augmentation funding approved in partnership with the Legislature.That’s allowed Cal Fire to staff 64 more engines in the northern region, for a total of 136. Newsom also says Cal Fire has already surpassed a goal of treating one-hundred thousand acres statewide by 2025. Mathias says it’s still not where they’d like to be…

click to listen to Jim Mathias

But Mathias says more progress has been made recently, compared to years past. Fire officials say work will continue on land treatment and forest health projects, where time, staffing, and weather conditions allow.