"I only looked away for a few seconds..."

That's what firefighters have heard from heartbroken parents whose children tragically drowned in their own backyard swimming pool.  As the summer heat rises, it's a good time to make sure that your pool is secure at all times.  Read our Pool Safety Checklist and Drowning Prevention Tips to learn more.

Keep Your Home and Yourself Safe from Wildfire with the new Ready! Set! Go! Wildfire Action Plan.

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Dear Residents and Visitors of Los Angeles County,

Keeping you out of harm's way is our mission each day at the Los Angeles County Fire Department. On any day of the year, more than 900 firefighters and lifeguards are on duty to make sure that we are there when you need us. We take great pride in providing exceptional public safety services to you all year round, and we've been doing just that for 88 years.

As our local weather starts to heat up, I want to remind you of some important safety issues. While everyone enjoys fun in the sun in the backyard swimming pool or at the beach, your local County firefighters and lifeguards want you to stay safe. Please read our pool safety tips to stay safe, especially young children.

Fire season is just around the corner. Your property may be located in an area frequently threatened by wildfire. The next several months will be a dangerous time of year for destructive wildfires, as grasses and other existing vegetation continue to dry out through the summer season. While we received an abundance of rain over the winter, the net result has been a large, rapidly drying grass crop. Throughout the summer and fall months these grasses increase the potential for fire starts and damaging losses. Take the time to complete your brush clearance now, so you can relax when the hot days of summer arrive.

Now in its third year in Los Angeles County, the "READY! SET! GO!" Wildfire Education Program can help make your home and landscaping more fire-resistive, and it will keep you and your family safe. It includes a 12-page Wildfire Action Plan and a series of checklists to create your own Family Disaster Plan. It will also explain why leaving early – well ahead of a fast-approaching wildfire – gives your family the best chance of surviving a wildfire. Please download and read this publication now, and then take action before the fires arrive. Your actions will make a difference and may even save your property – and your lives – from a devastating wildfire.

If you have any questions, I invite you to stop by your local fire station to speak with your local firefighters, call our Public Information team at (323) 881-2411, or email us at info@fire.lacounty.gov

Have a safe and happy summer.

Sincerely,
Daryl L. Osby, Fire Chief

Chief Osby's Biography | Creating a Home Evacuation Plan | Brush Clearance Tips