County proclaims Fire Prevention Week; fire department emphasizes lithium‑ion battery risks

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 7 presented a proclamation recognizing October 2025 as Fire Prevention Week and received a presentation from county fire officials emphasizing prevention strategies tied to lithium‑ion battery safety.

Fire Chief (unnamed in transcript) told the board prevention is a priority and said “prevention is the purest form of suppression. And every week should be Fire Prevention Week,” before describing decades of major fires and shifting risks related to household technology. The chief and Fire Marshal Kevin Riggi urged residents to buy only safety‑listed products, charge devices properly, unplug devices after charging and recycle batteries rather than discarding them in household trash.

Kevin Riggi, the fire marshal, summarized prevention work and inspection activity: roughly 36 public‑education events per year, 118 hazard‑abatement complaints mitigated in the prior year, confiscation of about 400 pounds of fireworks around July 4, 28 permitted “safe and sane” fireworks booths, nine arrests related to fireworks enforcement, inspections at 59 schools, 13 hotels/motels and 62 apartment complexes, and 528 plan reviews conducted by prevention staff. Riggi also described a lithium‑ion public‑education push during the week and asked residents to look for UL or other listing marks when buying products.

The board adopted a proclamation dated 10/07/2025 recognizing Fire Prevention Week and urged residents to follow the three calls to action promoted by county fire officials: buy listed products, charge batteries safely and recycle them responsibly. Fire officials invited the public to an upcoming Hometown Heroes event on Nov. 1 in downtown Visalia.