Even as local firefighters spread the message of fire prevention in area schools during the just completed Fire Prevention Week, more than 4,300 firefighters remain on the frontlines of nine active wildfires across the state.

Thankfully, said officials, many of them are projected to be fully contained by the end of the week. Firefighters continue to extinguish hot spots and perform fire suppression repair work.

“Temperatures across the State are hot and dry,” noted CAL FIRE Information/Education Officer Lynette Round, providing a statewide update on Tuesday morning. “Firefighters continue to brace for potential high fire activity in Southern California due to gusty winds and low humidity. In response to the increased fire conditions, CAL FIRE has added extra staffing.”

And though November is right around the corner, Round said fire danger remains high. CAL FIRE is urging all Californians to not only be prepared, but to ensure that they take actions to prevent sparking a new wildfire. Even household powered equipment like weed trimmers and lawn mowers can spark a fire if not used carefully. Learn more tips on how to prevent a wildfire at www.ReadyForWildfire.org.

“Since the start of the October Fire Siege on Sunday, Oct. 8, CAL FIRE responded to 250 new wildfires. At the peak of the wildfires there were 21 major wildfires that, in total, burned over 245,000 acres,” Round said. “Also, 11,000 firefighters battled the destructive fires that at one time forced 100,000 to evacuate, destroyed an estimated 8,400 structures, and sadly, took the lives of 42 people.”

Many of the fires are at or near 90 percent containment, including the Tubbs Fire in Sonoma and Napa counties. The Nuns Fire, impacting those same two counties, was listed as 95 percent contained on Tuesday morning.