California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order in July that will provide additional staffing and resources to protect local wildland communities from fire and will allow the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to expand its statewide firefighting efforts.

“We face extreme fire conditions in our state with summer heat, high winds, steep mountains and trees everywhere,” said Schwarzenegger. “I have seen the devastating effect wildfires can have.…The executive order I am signing today strengthens prevention by making our forest areas healthier and less of a fire risk and mobilizes more direct support to the firefighting effort.”

The executive order increases staffing levels to four firefighters per engine on 53 CDF engines in the counties of Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego during the highest fire threat periods. It also staffs four additional CDF conservation camp fire crews in the southern portion of the state and a helicopter based in San Diego County. The order also assigns additional resources to the CDF contract counties of Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange as warranted based on established criteria of fire threat conditions.

Last year, Schwarzenegger funded the Blue Ribbon Fire Commission's following recommendations in his 2005-06 budget:

• Replacing old CDF fire engines and helicopters,
• Year-round staffing in Southern California,
• Improved radio communications equipment, and
• Sixty new fire engines for local governments and CDF.

Schwarzenegger also called on residents to take common-sense precautions during fire season.