Capitan Bill Bryant of Cal Fire Station #29 says "we are ready for fire season." He has been at the Anza Fire Department for nine years and a firefighter for 35 years.

Bryant says the main areas the department covers are the Anza Valley, Aguanga, Paradise and Borrego Park, but they can be called at any time to any part of the state of California.

The station is staffed by six fire fighters daily, 11 volunteers on call, a staff of five from the US Forestry Department, one state truck and one county truck along with other vehicles.

The US Forest Service, along with Riverside County and state departments, all work very closely to make sure enough reinforcements are available in an emergency, such as the string of out-of-control fires Southern California encountered in October of 2007.

Now, Bryant says, "Southern California has heavier reinforcements, such as extra aircraft and money, because of our lack of rain and extreme heat during fire season. There is a lot of grass this year. It could be bad, but there is no concrete forecast."

Fire season started May 1. According to Bryant, the season begins when there is a drop in moisture and small fires start popping up.

He also said they have already begun inspecting properties and sending out notices to those residents. They will be enforcing those notices firmly.

Bryant urges people to "be prepared with a defensible space of at least 100 feet around all properties and be able to load their important possessions and get out quickly" in the case of a fire.

Why 100 feet? Well, it will drastically increase the chance of a home surviving a wildfire, and it is required by law.

Cal Fire stresses that the first 30 feet around a house be cleared of all flammable vegetation and dead plants. The next 70 feet is the "reduced fuel zone" and requires removal of dead leaves, needles, bark, twigs and anything else that is loose and drying.

As for a home’s inside, officials strongly advise residents to keep fire extinguishers on hand, baking soda in the kitchen to put out grease fires and a screen in front of fireplaces.

In addition, chimneys should be cleaned at least once a year, smoke detectors should be checked to ensure they work properly and all combustibles should be stored away from ignition sources such as water heaters.

Finally, one should never smoke in bed or anywhere else he or she might fall asleep.

The fire department has several pamphlets on hand regarding homeowner requirements, safety checklists and what to carry out for disaster preparedness.