As firefighters prepare for rising temperatures Friday, they’re also reminding the public about fire safety.
A heat wave will start Saturday.
" Temperatures will be 5 to 10 degrees above normal for this time of the year," said NBC 7 weather anchor Llarisa Abreu.
Cal Fire Captain Isaac Sanchez said most fires are caused by people.
"It’s not necessarily anything criminal in nature, but a malfunctioning vehicle, or somebody doing their defensible space clearance," said Sanchez. "We’ll possibly, eventually have a vegetation fire that could grow to something large and destructive."
Some safety tips from firefighters: have 100 feet of defensible space around your house, remove all dead vegetation from your yard, make sure trees are not hanging over your home, and place a screen over your chimney.
"What we recommend is doing that clearing early in the morning before the sun has a chance to heat those fuels up and it dries out," said Sanchez. "When you are doing your defensible space clear-out, have a water source nearby, in the event that you inadvertently start a fire."
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Sanchez said it's also important to make sure your neighbors are practicing fire safety.
"Let them know that there is a concern. Defensible space is enforceable for your property and around your home, but once the property line is crossed, it takes a cooperative effort," explained Sanchez.
