California is moving firefighting crews and equipment into position across Southern California as forecasters warn of critical fire weather and building heat, an early-season mobilization that underscores fears 2026 could rank among the worst fire years on record. Governor Gavin Newsom has pre-deployed resources to Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Joaquin and Glenn counties ahead of the dangerous conditions.
The pre-positioning is part of a broader push that has seen the state deploy more than 2,800 personnel and equipment to confront wildfires this year. State agencies have also fast-tracked more than 400 wildfire prevention projects across nearly 100,000 acres, work the governor's office credits with reducing the risk of catastrophic fires near vulnerable communities.
Officials say the fire season is already running above normal. Northern California saw a sharp rise in daily fires during May, including grassland blazes such as the Midway and Catlett fires, while Southern California's heavy grass fuel loads and drying conditions have raised the danger of large fires across timber and coastal grasses alike.
Newsom's Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force has released a draft five-year action plan covering 2026 through 2031 to guide the next phase of prevention and landscape restoration. The plan emphasizes expanded use of prescribed fire, forest management and technology, alongside community programs aimed at hardening homes against embers.
The aggressive posture reflects hard lessons from recent years, including the devastating fires that swept Los Angeles County in early 2025. State emergency managers say pre-deploying crews before red-flag conditions arrive can mean the difference between a fire that is quickly contained and one that explodes across tens of thousands of acres.
Forecasters warn that drought, heat and climate change continue to lengthen and intensify California's fire season. With critical fire weather expected to recur through the summer, officials urged residents in high-risk areas to prepare evacuation plans, clear defensible space and heed warnings as conditions shift.