Cal Fire crews are training local California Conservation Corps members to help out on the front lines.
The Los Padres CCC District that covers Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo is one of four districts training with Cal Fire to be hand crews.
"So today after they do all their exercises and Cal Fire deems they completed all that successfully they will be able to respond to fires as a type one crew," CCC District Director Mike Anderson said.
The crews were on Parkhill Road in San Luis Obispo County Wednesday afternoon getting physically and mentally ready for fire season, as well as learning to cut fire lines.
"We've utilized the CCC for many different tasks throughout the years in base camp and around base camp and this was a logical progression to move forward and the need is there," Cal Fire Public Information Officer Clint Bullard said.
The Los Padres District will have two of these type one, hand crews.
