(NEWS 8) - October has proven to be a very dangerous month in San Diego and the state of California when it comes to wildfires, and hot, dry and windy conditions this weekend has local fire agencies doing their part to make sure people are prepared.
Cal Fire and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department have increased staffing, prepared special brush fire teams and even have helicopters on standby. Now they're urging San Diego families to do their part and get Fire Ready.
"Folks have got to be on top of their game, they've got to plan and they've got to be ready in the event anything happens," Cal Fire's Kendall Bortisser said. "When that order is given, get out."
Bortisser says October and November are the months San Diego has seen its most catastrophic fires.
Officials stress the importance of an evacuation plan. They say you should know what you need to take with you, and where it is, if you only have five minutes to evacuate your house. Not only does planning save lives, it also keeps firefighters combating flames rather than rescuing unprepared people.
One of the best resources available in the event of a sudden wildfire is the county's reverse 911 system. You can register your cell phone on the AlertSanDiego system and receive immediate push notifications to your device.
"Having your cell phone registered through AlertSanDiego is critical so that we can reach you when you only have minutes to evacuate," Holly Crawford of the Operation of Emergency Services said.
Register your device here.