NEWS RELEASE

INTERAGENCY WILDLAND FIRE NEWS
For Immediate Release
Date: November 1, 2004 CCal-05-14
Contacts: Margie Clack, USFS (760) 379-5646 Debbie Santiago, BLM (661) 391-6097 Doug Johnston, KCFD (661) 391-7082

WILDLAND FIRE SEASON OFFICIALLY ENDS FOR 2004

The Sequoia National Forest, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Bakersfield Field Office, and Kern County Fire Department officially declared the end the 2004 wildland fire season on Saturday, October 30.

Recent heavy storms have brought much needed rain and snow to forest areas and public lands allowing fire officials to declare the end of the wildand fire season earlier than anticipated. This abrupt change in weather brings cooler temperatures and beneficial rainfall, which significantly reduces the threat of damaging wildfires throughout our wildland communities at high fire risk. The public is reminded to continue working on hazardous fuel reduction projects around their valuable homes and to stay prepared throughout the winter season.

Most seasonal firefighters are being laid off, helicopter contracts have been completed, and the remaining crews from all agencies will conduct pile burns and complete fuels projects throughout the winter. Last year at this time Californians witnessed one of the worst fire seasons on record. During late October of 2003, hundreds of firefighters battled several southern California wildfires that scorched more than 750,000 acres, destroyed 3,600 homes and killed 22 people. The largest individual blaze of all was the 275,000 acre Cedar Fire which burned in the mountains northeast of San Diego.

During 2004, the Sequoia National Forest and the Giant Sequoia National Monument experienced 79 wildland fires which burned an estimated 3,481 acres. Of these, 55 fires were human-caused and 24 were caused by lightning. BLM Bakersfield fire crews responded to approximately 93 interagency incidents involving more than 4,301 acres throughout California. Kern County Fire Department responded to over 600 incidents involving wildland fire with over 5,000 acres burned. Firefighters were able to keep this year's loss of wildland acreage to a minimum through fire prevention and education, higher public awareness, constant training, and aggressive firefighting.

-BLM-