Pasadena Firefighters to Beef Up Patrols Over Scorching Labor Day Weekend

With high temperatures hovering around 110 degrees anticipated over the coming Labor Day weekend, the Pasadena Fire Department will be fielding extra patrols and carefully monitoring conditions to be ready for any potential fires, authorities said.

Interim Fire Chief Bryan Frieders said the department was ready for the heatwave.

“Pasadenan’s should know that the Fire Department is actively monitoring all of the risks associated with the predicted weather and will take immediate action if [or] when an incident happens,” he said.

“Our operations battalion chiefs and fire station captains will be out patrolling and monitoring the city beginning Friday and throughout the weekend,” Frieders said. “We have agreements with all of our surrounding fire agencies to provide both ground and air support should a fire occur in Pasadena, so I am confident that we are prepared.”

While no Red Flag parking restrictions for the city’s urban-wildlife interface areas were in effect Thursday, as the holiday weekend approached, they are “very possible, depending on the wind and relative humidity,” Frieders said. He added that officials will be closely monitoring weather stations and forecasts.

At areas like Eaton Canyon and the San Rafael Hills, “the brush is dry, but there is still a lot of green,” the chief said. “However, the risk of fire still exists.”

The Angeles National Forest had already listed fire danger as “extreme” on Thursday, which is the fifth tier of a six-tier system, exceeded only by the “critical” level. All campfires within the forest are prohibited, U.S. Forest Service officials said.

Those who brave the heat to barbecue over the weekend were advised to be careful, particularly in high fire hazard areas.

Cooking fires should only be used in approved vessels, and not in fire pits or other makeshift devices, Frieders said.

“Remember, embers from a fire can travel up to a mile if the wind is present,” he added.

If a fire should break out, Frieders urged the public to heed evacuation orders quickly.

“There have been recent cases of fatalities of residents who refused to leave and were subsequently burned over when the fire approached their home,” he said. “If we tell you to leave, please don’t hesitate, otherwise it could cost you your life. Things can be replaced — you cannot be replaced.”