Nationally, May is known as Wildfire Awareness Month. Paso Robles is participating by hosting block parties on the west side of town, an area with high wildfire risk.
City of Paso Robles Fire Captain John Prickett explained the logic behind targeting those neighborhoods with higher risks.
“On our west side of Paso Robles, that’s where we have the biggest threat to the city,” Captain Prickett said. “It’s extremely important that the public realize those threats, and we’ve seen multiple fires throughout the years that have had mass destruction associated with [them].”
According to their most recently published annual report, Paso Robles Fire and Emergency Services responded to 100 wildfires in 2022, with the most occurring in July.
Captain Prickett said May, however, is when wildfire season typically begins.
“May is where we start to get into the drying season where vegetation grows and dries out and becomes more vulnerable to wildfires,” he explained.
Prickett advises Paso Robles residents to take steps to protect their homes from wildfire. These include:
- Using noncombustible siding on your home
- Clearing your roofs of vegetation that could end up in the gutter
- Covering your vents with 1/8th inch mesh
Paso Robles Fire and Emergency Services will host two wildfire preparedness block parties to remind community members of the real threat wildfires pose and offer some proactive ways to go about fighting them.
May 8:
- 10th St. & Olive St.
- 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
May 22:
- 17th St. & Olive St.
- 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
