California City Fire Department

It is with heavy hearts and great sadness we announce the passing of Retired California City Fire Department Chief Michael Garcia. Chief Garcia serviced as the California City Fire Department Chief from December 2010 to 2013. He also served in the military and as Cal Fire-California State Fire Training-Assistant Chief Southern Region (Ret). Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all the lives that this noble man impacted.... Rest easy Chief Michael Garcia, thank you.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissue of the breast. The damage cells can invade surrounding tissues. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. Breast Cancer is the second leading cause of death among women. Men are also affected at about 1/100 the rate of women.... Outcomes for breast cancer vary depending on the cancer type, extent of disease, and person's age. The five year survival rate of breast cancer is over 90% when found early. The key is early detection!! https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-self-exam Always supporting the fighters. Admiring the survivors. Honoring the taken. Never giving up hope.

The California City Fire Department continues to support efforts battling the Bobcat Fire with assigned recourses. Currently the Bobcat Fire is 113,307 acres with 38% containment. Smoke from this fire has been pushing into the California City area. : Photos provided by Fire Captain D. Orr (assigned night operation Fireline Paramedic to Division Golf/North).

California City Fire Department has sent out resources to help with the California wildfires. Fire Captain /Paramedic David Orr has been assigned to the Bobcat Fire in the Angels National Forest as a Fireline Paramedic. He is currently assigned to nighttime operations in Division G. Currently the Bobcat Fire is 44,393 acres with 3% containment. Fireline Paramedics support other firefighting personnel by providing preventative healthcare and emergency treatment. This is a gr...eat example of your local firefighters assisting the statewide battle of wildfires. The services provided by California City Fire Department personnel are reimbursed by the incident. Thank you for your continued support of the California City Fire Department.

Message from Fire Chief Jeremy Kosick: Today I would ask all of us to take pause and remember all those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. Our Country’s first responders and fellow citizens courageously and selflessly, gave up their lives to help others, knowing that they may never return home that day. Remember all those who came from all parts of our country to search for survivors, our first responders, our military, our fellow citizens who volunteered, and th...ose who would later give up their lives due to cancer and illness from working at ground zero. I would also ask each of us to think back to the following day of September 12, 2001, and remember how our county came together with unity, patriotism, and our resolve to help others. Let us never forget the sacrifices that were made that day and the days to come. Let us never forget what we stand for as a people and as a nation. And let us never forget to help one another, in both the good times, and the dark times. Never forget 9/11.

*Mutual Aid Response* Tehachapi, CA 9/9/20 3:07PM California City Paramedic Engine 19 and Patrol 19 have been requested for immediate need resource to the Tehachapi area to assist Kern County Fire Department with a vegetation fire and structure protection.

Emergency vehicles are tending to a non injury vehicle accident on California City Blvd. just West of the tracks. Please slow down and drive with caution in the area.

*Excessive Heat Watch Starting Friday* An Excessive Heat Watch means that a prolonged period of dangerously hot temperatures is expected. Heat related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke are possible. Drink plenty of fluids, stay out of the sun, and remain in an air-conditioned room.

*Natural Gas Leak with Road Closures* Crews are currently on scene of a natural gas leak in the 8700 block of Tamarack Ave. The closure of Tamarack Avenue is between Airway Boulevard and 88th Street. ... No evacuations are needed in the area.

*Structure Fire Response* 7800 block of Willow Avenue On 8/18/2020 just before 10AM, the California City Fire Department was dispatched to reports of smoke coming from a storage facility in the area of Isabella Boulevard and Willow Avenue. ... Paramedic Engine 19 arrived on scene of an abandoned 8-unit concrete block storage facility with smoke coming from a single storage unit. Firefighters forced entry into the single unit and extinguished the fire within minutes stopping further spread of the fire. No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation.

Due to the current extreme weather, California City may experience intermittent rolling electrical blackouts between 3-10pm for the duration of the week. This is due to the tremendous stress on the electrical grid, any blackouts that do occur will last approximately one hour in duration. Southern California Edison (SCE) is asking all SCE customers in the affected area to limit power use as much as possible and to not use large appliances after 3pm, this includes appliances s...uch as clothes washers, dishwashers, vacuums, etc. Extreme weather is expected to last the duration of week without much relief. California City / grid block A003/ A013/ R001 will be the area subject to the electrical blackouts and you can follow the updates on one of the links provided below. https://www.sce.com//rotating-outages/rotating-group-number http://www.flexalert.org/ http://www.caiso.com/Pages/default.aspx https://www.pge.com///find-your-rotating-outage-block.page

*Structure Fire Response* 230 Desert Breeze, California City On 08/3/2020 at approximately 11:47PM, CCFD was dispatched to a structure fire response for multiple reports of flames coming from a residence. ... Paramedic Engine 19 arrived on scene to find a single family mobile home and vehicles on fire. All occupants, 2 adults and 6 kids, safely exited the home after they woke up to the smell of smoke. Firefighters made an aggressive attack of the fire while protecting nearby structures from catching fire. During fire suppression efforts a natural gas meter was compromised by the fire causing an uncontrolled gas leak. Evacuations were prompted for 5 nearby homes. Firefighters were able to secure the leak with assistance from SoCal Gas. Complete knock down of the fire took approximately 40 minutes. Two civilians required medical evaluation and treatment during this incident. One was for a anaphylactic emergency that wasn't related to the structure fire but occurred a few houses down from the fire location. The fire remains under investigation by CCFD Fire Investigators. Red Cross has been notified to assist the family. Assisting agencies included the California City Police Department, Kern County Fire Department, Edwards Air Force Base Fire Department, Liberty Ambulance, California City Police VIPs, Emergency Communication Centers, SoCal Gas, SoCal Edison and the Red Cross.

US National Weather Service Hanford California sharing a satellite loop of the smoke coming into Kern County desert from the Stagecoach Fire.

*Smoke Advisory 8/3/2020* Smoke and ash from multiple wildland fires in Southern California is starting to drift into the California City area. Protect your health by avoiding exposure. If possible, stay inside with windows and doors closed until smoke levels subside. Set air conditioning units and car vent systems to re-circulate to prevent outside air from moving inside. ... Smoke can irritate the eyes and airways, causing coughing, a dry scratchy throat and irritated sinuses. Elevated particulate matter in the air can trigger wheezing in those who suffer from asthma, emphysema or COPD. Elderly persons, children and individuals with respiratory illnesses are particularly susceptible to elevated air pollution levels and should take extra precautions to avoid exposure. If you need to go outside, ensure you are practicing social distancing (staying 6 feet apart from people outside of your household), cover your cough, wash your hands frequently and wear face coverings per public health recommendations to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Contact your health care provider if you experience any of the following symptoms: Repeated coughing Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Wheezing Chest tightness or pain Palpitations Nausea or unusual fatigue Lightheadedness As always, if you or someone you know is experiencing a live-threatening emergency, call 911.