Governor Newsom proclaims state of emergency in Ventura County due to Mountain Fire, meets with first responders

California officials treated 700,000 acres of land for wildfire resilience in 2023, and prescribed fires more than doubled between 2021 and 2023.
Other steps the state has taken to protect Californians from wildfires include:

• Investing in wildfire resilience. Governor Newsom and the legislature maintained $2.6 billion in funding over seven years, in addition to new investments of $200 million per year going forward, for healthy forest and fire prevention programs, including prescribed fire and other fuel reduction projects.
• Tracking wildfire prevention. California recently unveiled newly updated, first-of-their-kind dashboards that will help Californians track the state’s wildfire prevention work.
• More boots on the ground than ever before. The administration is implementing shorter workweeks for state firefighters to prioritize firefighter wellbeing, while adding 2,400 additional state firefighters to CAL FIRE’s ranks over the next five years.
• Expanding the world’s largest aerial firefighting fleet. Governor Newsom has overseen the expansion of California’s aerial firefighting fleet, including the addition of more than 16 helicopters with several equipped for night operations, expanded five helitack bases, and assumed ownership of seven C-130 air tankers, making it the largest fleet of its kind globally. The state also adds to its world-leading air attack capacity through recent new funding to contract 24 additional non-state owned firefighting aircraft.
• Cutting-edge drone technology. CAL FIRE has doubled its use of drones for critical tasks like aerial ignition during prescribed burns, wildfire containment, and real-time assessments.
• Artificial intelligence and real-time data tools. The state is leveraging AI-powered tools to spot fires quicker and the Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System (FIRIS) to provide real-time mapping of wildfires.
• Advanced mapping and satellite technology. California has partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense to use satellites for wildfire detection and invested in LiDAR technology to create detailed 3D maps of high-risk areas, helping firefighters better understand and navigate complex terrains.

Greater capabilities for incident reporting. CAL FIRE has expanded its capabilities for incident reporting at fire.ca.gov, updating the incident map with near real time information about firefighting aircraft activity, 3-D maps with evacuation orders, local shelter information, road closures, and more.