Fire-Season Hiking Is No Walk in the Park: Be Prepared

Summer is no doubt an enjoyable time of year to be outdoors and surrounded by nature, but extra precautions must be taken to avoid heat stroke and other dangers. It’s always a good idea to check the status of the park you want to visit, according to Peter Estes of the law enforcement and emergency services division of California State Parks. “You want to gain knowledge of any fire restrictions or guidelines in place, trail closures, weather, terrain, and check any personal limitations you might have,” he said. Some good websites to explore first, he said, are parks.ca.gov and airnow.gov for daily quality alerts....