STRUCTURE FIRE INCREASE

ARE REPORTING AN INCREASE INSTRUCTURE FIRES STARTING IN-22023ABC'S TAYLOR LEVESQUE JOINS USNOW WITH AN IN DEPTH LOOATKTHE IMPACT OF THIS INCREASEACROSS THE COUY.NTBOTH FIRE DEPARTMENTS SAY ITSCOMMON TO HAVEVEGETAONTI FIRES DURING THESUMMER MONTHS AND REMOSTRUCTURE FIRES DURING THEWINTER MONTHS BUT THIS YEARTHEY'RE SEEING AN UPTICK INSTRUCTURE FIRES EVEN BEFORE WESEE A DROP IN TEMPERATURES.FREEBORN: "TYPICALLY THE NATURALOCCURRING FIREONLY OCCURS ABOUT 15 TO 20PERCENT OF THE TIME, ITS ALMOSTALWAYS A MANMADE CAUSE FOR AFIRE."AND IN 2020 BOTH THE BAKERSFIELDAND KERN COUNTY REFIDEPARTMENTS SAY THEY STARTED TONOTICE A TREND INMANMADE STRUCTURE FIRESGRAPHIC: ANDREW FREEBORN WITHTHE KERN COUNTY FIREDEPARTMENT, SAYS BETWEEN JUNEAND JULY OF 2020,FIREFIGHTERS HAVE BATTLED ABOUT261 STRUCTUREFIRES.MEANWHILE CHIEF KEVIN ALBERTSONWITH THE BAKERSFIELDFIRE DEPARTMENT TELLS 23ABC IN2020 BETWEEN JUNE 1ST ANDAUGUST 2ND, THEIR CREWS FOUGHT111 STRUCTURFIRES.AND DATA SHOWS AN INCREASE INTHE NUMBER OF STRUCTURES FIRESCONTINUING 2021, DURING THATSAME TIME FRAME, THE DEPARENTMHAS RESPOND DETO 117, WHICH ISAN INCREASE OF 6 STRUCTURE FIRESTHIS YEAR SO FAR - JUST INBARSKEFIELD.STANDUP: WHILE, THE COUNTYWIDEREPORTS FOR 2021 FIRE CALLSHAS NOT BE FINALIZED, FREEBORNESTIMATES EYTHHAVE RESPONDED TO ABOUT 300STRUCTURE FIRES JUST BETENWEJUNE AND JULY, AN INCREASE OF 50STRUCTURE FIRES.BUT FREEBORN WANTS TO REMINDKERN COUNTY THIS IS PART OF ACOMMUNITY'S GROWTH FOR EMERGENCYCALLTOSINCREASE EACH YEAR.FREEBORN: THERE'S MORE AND MOREURBAN SPRA WWLITHINOUR COMMUNITIES IN KERN COUNTYSO JUST THAT FACET ALO YNEARE GOING TO EXPECT MORE CALLVOLUME, MORE PEOPLE PLUS MOREACTIVITY EQUALS MORE CALLVOME."LUBUT ONCE THE FIRE IS OUT CHIEFALBERTSON SAYS THE PROCESS TOINVESTIGATE A FIRE'S CAUSEDEPENDS ON THE SITUATION.ALBERTSON: "..WE CAN HAVE THECAUSE OF THIS FIRE INTHREE DAYS OR 5 DAYS OR A YEARTWO YEARS OR THREE YEARST IJUST DEPENDS ON THE ARSONINVESTIGATORS AND WHAT TY HEFIND."BUT ONE PROCESS REMAINS THESAME."EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE CALLSGET CODED AS A CERTAINTYPE OF CALL AND THAT HELPS WITHOUR DATA RESEARCTOHLOOK UP AND SEE WHAT IS GOING ONWITH OUR CALLS OF SERVICE."THE KERN COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENTSAYS THE DEPARTMENT ISACTIVELY WORKING ON WAYS TOREDUCE FIREEMERGENCIES AND HAVE NOTIDENTIFIED A TRENDING ISSUERELATING TO THE RECENT RISE INFIRES.

REPORTING IN BAKERSFIELD,TAYLOR LEVESQUE 23ABC NECONNECTING YOU.FOLLOWING ANLM AOST