SCR 49, as introduced, Berryhill. Wildfire Awareness Week.
This measure would declare the week of May 3, 2015, to May 9, 2015, inclusive, as Wildfire Awareness Week to raise public awareness and encourage all residents of California to be prepared for wildfires.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, Wildfires significantly impact California’s
2environmental, economic, and social well-being; and
3WHEREAS, California is a dynamic place to live, work, and
4recreate, with a diverse ecological environment; and
5WHEREAS, The current drought and significantly increased
6drought-induced mortality of trees and other natural vegetation
7throughout the state create ideal conditions for severe wildfire risk;
8and
9WHEREAS, Approximately 95 percent of wildfires in California
10are human-caused and, therefore, are preventable; and
11WHEREAS, The history of California wildfires has seen
12unparalleled devastation, with wildfires comparable to the world’s
13most destructive fires in the past 150 years, and Californians should
P2 1not forget the lessons learned and impact from previous wildfires,
2including, the 1977 Spanish Ranch fire near Santa Maria, the 1970
3Laguna fire near San Diego, the 2003 Cedar fire east of San Diego,
4the 2007 Southern California fires, and the 2013 Rim Fire in the
5Stanislaus National Forest that became the third largest wildfire
6in California’s history; and
7WHEREAS, Wildfire suppression costs only represent a small
8portion of the overall economic impacts and do not reflect the total
9cost of large and damaging fires; and
10WHEREAS, Residents must be encouraged to move from the
11expectation of being protected from a wildfire to the understanding
12that they must be prepared to survive a wildfire; and
13WHEREAS, To do so, residents of this state will need to acquire
14the knowledge and skills to prepare their homes to survive a
15wildfire and to take action before the wildfire occurs; and
16WHEREAS, The educational tools for preventing wildfires and
17protecting against them when they occur already exist; and
18 WHEREAS, It is essential that we reach out to our communities
19and individual homeowners with this information, because, armed
20with knowledge, residents of this state can learn to live safely in
21a wildfire environment; and
22WHEREAS, “Wildfire Awareness Week” is a valuable
23opportunity for California’s fire agencies and communities to
24reduce the risk of wildfires and increase public safety and
25awareness through education on fire safety, preparation, and
26prevention; and
27WHEREAS, Residents who implement appropriate prefire
28activities improve the survivability of their homes during a wildfire;
29now, therefore, be it
30Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
31thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby declares the week
32of May 3, 2015, to May 9, 2015, inclusive, as Wildfire Awareness
33Week to raise public awareness and encourage all residents of
34California to be prepared for wildfires.
35Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
36this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
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