California Wildfire: Ready, Set, Go!
By Chief Ken Pimlott
Wildfires occur year round in California. CAL FIRE has already responded to more than 2,400 wildfires that have burned more than 98,000 acres since the beginning of the year. Despite the rain over the past winter, several previous years of drought have created the potential for a truly devastating fire season this year. As we move into the summer months the risk for wildfires grows. This week, with triple digit temperatures over much of the state, several wildfires are burning in various locations.
This year tree mortality is literally adding fuel to the fire. The estimated number of dead trees in the central and southern Sierra was recently increased to more than 66 million–killed by the drought and bark beetles. Some have been cut down and some have fallen, but acres and acres of dead trees are still standing, just waiting for a spark. They could mean even faster-moving and more erratic fires than we typically see.