Wildfire Conditions : HIGH ALERT

Credit: Jonathan Alcorn/Reuters

The Black Forest Fire in Colorado, the Powerhouse Fire in California and many other wildfires this year, have combined to put Fire Officials in the Western US on HIGH ALERT Wildfire Season.

So they are letting the public know!

Fire Chiefs in Southern California announced they expect this Wildfire Season could be the worst in 100 years!  They blame this extreme warning on rising temperatures, dry winds and drought conditions.  In fact, they're preparing for 2,600 fires across 51,000 acres.

And perhaps the public is taking notice.

Yahoo! says in the 7 days ending 6/24/13 they saw the following:

• Searches for "Southern California Wildfires" were up +2,844%
• Searches for "Wildfires in Colorado" were up +380%

What the future holds, we don't know.

We hope for the best.  But Firefighters are wisely planning for the worst.

Credit: Unknown

THANKS to Firefighters

We want to say THANKS to Firefighters everywhere!!

Firefighters are vital part of the Public Safety community, and this great country would not be the same without your great service!

Firefighters generally prefer to be fighting fires, but the reality is they get called on out far more medical emergencies.  In fact, medical calls outnumber fire calls nearly 3-to-1.

Nonetheless, firefighters have one of the most stressful jobs in America.

They fight wildfires, including the devastating Colorado wildfires this year.  And they fight structure fires.

Firefighters go the extra mile to save lives at dangerous traffic scenes - like this one in Santa Barbara, CA.

At least one firefighter proudly represented the USA in the 2012 London Olympics!

They invent genius new products - like this water misting station for heat relief.

They passionately care for the community and valiantly support worthy causes - like this cancer fighting non-profit organization.

And sometimes, firefighters are called to protect people from themselves.

So this week, we say THANKS to Firefighters everywhere - whether you are career, volunteer or on-call!!

Firefighter AND Olympian - Jimmy Watkins

The 2012 London Olympics are here!  Go Team USA!!

One amazing aspect of the Olympics is that these athletes have the patience to train for 4 long years before competing on this famous international stage.  And because the Games occur every 4 years, most Olympians will only compete in them a couple times.  Maybe this is extraordinary to me because I'm (personally) impatient.  But the enduring stories of Olympic athletes are truly inspiring!

So here's a great Olympic story.  Jimmy Watkins competes for the USA Cycling team as a sprinter.  Most Olympians dedicate their full-time attention to training.  But not Jimmy.  He's a husband, a father, a firefighter... and then an athlete.

Jimmy is a firefighter in Bakersfield, CA (Kern County, Station 55).  His experience is primarily as a hotshot (wildland firefighter), so he'll be missed during this active wildfire season.  And incidentally, he went to Colorado Springs last month to train with his team in the altitude.  But due to smoke from the very wildfires he would normally be fighting his cycling team had to relocate to Los Angeles.

Jimmy starting cycling when he was 21 years old to train for his firefighting job, but he quickly realized there might be more.  And his competitive drive now has competing in the 2012 London Olympics!!

Go Team USA!

Click here for a great video clip...  Jimmy Watkins on Bakersfield News17

UPDATE: Southwest Wildfires

In our continuing look at this increasingly active wildfire season, we bring you up-to-date on the many wildfires burning across the Southwest.

Large incident wildfires are currently burning in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and California.  The high heat and tremendous winds are contributing to a rapid spread of these fires.

Hundreds of structures have been destroyed.  Thousands of residents and visitors have been evacuated. And hundreds of wildland firefighters are battling these blazes.

The 2011 wildfire season burned 8.7 million acres - making it the 3rd most destructive wildfire season in the last 50 years.  We all hope 2012 will not be a record-breaker.  But instead of waiting to find out, prepare now by stocking up on essential wildland fire gear!