Fire station opens doors to public in effort to help fight fires

MARIN, Calif. (KGO) -- Fire danger is now at critical levels because of the heat and severe drought. On Sunday, fire departments opened their doors to the public in an effort to help fight fires before they start.

Folks got to tour the Throckmorton Ridge Fire Station. It protects not only homes in the area, but most of Mount Tamalpais during this heat wave and drought.

ABC7 News spoke with a firefighter who said he uses a psychrometer to gauge the humidity everyday. On Sunday afternoon, it revealed humidity was at 34 percent, only increasing the fire threat in Marin County. The Throckmorton Ridge Fire Station is on south slope of Mount Tamalpais where hot weather isn't helping firefighters.

"After consecutive years of drought conditions, our fuels on Mount Tam are at critical levels. They dropped below 60 percent fuel moisture, which tells us we're in extreme fire conditions right now," Marin County Fire Department Capt. Ben Ghisletta said.

The doors to the firehouse were open on Sunday as part of National Fire Prevention week. Mt. Tamalpais neighbors are dropping by to say hello and thank you.

"Because it just takes one person making a mistake to endanger this beautiful mountain and all the people who live up her," Shirley Berman said.

San Francisco's fire boat was on the bay showing the public what it can do in a fire emergency.

On dry land, firefighters were at the Exploratorium teaching folks how to be fire safe.

Kids and their parents got quick training on how to use a fire extinguisher.

"Knowledge is power and the more information the children have the better," Erika Bowles said.

A boy named Reid Altshuler who took part in the training said it's important to learn how to use a fire extinguisher just in case there's a fire.

"No one ever uses it until natural emergencies, so this is a great opportunity to put people in a situation where we have a fire that's contained and we're teaching folks how to put it out," San Francisco Fire Department spokesperson Hashim Anderson said.

It's simple skill that could help save your home or you