Wildfire watch CAL FIRE prepares for peak season
Briana Mathaw
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) – It’s mid-summer, and wildfire season is reaching its peak across California. As conditions dry out and rainfall becomes increasingly scarce, CAL FIRE crews are keeping a close watch on how the season is unfolding and what lies ahead.
“I’m concerned about wildfire all year long,” a local resident said.
CAL FIRE says conditions right now are pretty much where they expected them to be for this time of year.
“We’re not any drier or wetter. We’re right on track for the amount of rain that we had this winter. We’re tracking on where our conditions are for June and July every other year,” a CAL FIRE official said. “We’re just getting to the point where our grasses are cleared out and very receptive,” said.
Locally, fire activity tends to spike as summer transitions into fall. CAL FIRE says they’re now preparing for the most active stretch of the year.
“Very typical busy fire season, which for us locally is usually August, September, October. That’s where we on the coast, Monterey County, really see our call volume start to transition into more volatile conditions,” the CAL FIRE official said.
“June was a busy month for CAL FIRE San Benito-Monterey Unit, with firefighters responding to a total of 661 calls for service. The breakdown includes 266 medical emergencies, 101 vegetation fires, 4 structure fires, 76 vehicle accidents, 7 technical rescues, and 207 other types of incidents,” a CAL FIRE official said.
For those living in high-risk fire zones, this time of year always brings heightened anxiety.
“I do get worried about people not properly putting out their fires, especially as the wind starts picking up and it’s hot. Really just feels like a perfect storm for another fire to hit,” a concerned resident said.
So far, CAL FIRE says the largest wildfire incident they’ve responded to this year was several months ago.
“Our largest fire to date was out in the solar fields up in March. That fire was right around 600 acres. But for the most part, all of our fires are being contained at a relatively small size, which is, you know, great for us locally,” the CAL FIRE official said.
Some residents are taking extra steps to make their homes more fire-resilient by clearing brush and creating a buffer zone.
“Our home became fire safety certified. So someone actually came out and checked everything that we did. We cleared all the brush within five feet,” a homeowner said.
As dry conditions persist and no significant rainfall appears in the forecast, CAL FIRE says it’s a recipe for rapid fire spread if people aren’t careful.
“We get a few days of rain, followed by a week or so of sun, which really let that grass crop—or our light, flashy fuels, really have those ideal conditions to thrive. So, yeah, we are concerned, looking forward as things get into that very typical busy fire season,” the CAL FIRE official said.
Despite the risks, CAL FIRE reports they are fully equipped and ready.
“We were able to hire back our seasonal workforce, which was huge. We have all the tools in the toolbox to have a very aggressive and successful run towards the end of the year. We’re at full staffing,” the CAL FIRE official said.
As the peak season approaches, CAL FIRE is urging people to create defensible space around their homes, be prepared to evacuate if needed, and stay informed on current fire conditions.