FEDS AND STATE GEAR UP FOR “SERIOUS” FIRE SEASON IN CALIFORNIA

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By Miriam Raftery

Photo: 2015 Lake Fire

May 18, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell warned Tuesday that the Sierra snowpacks are melting “faster than we have ever seen.”  Despite El Niño rains, he predicts, “We anticipate a very active fire season in California.”

Making matters worse, four years of drought and bark beetles have left forests full of dead and dying trees across out state that can’t be save. They burn hot and fast–and many are near homes, Cal-Fire has indicated. 

In a briefing this week in Washington D.C., Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, the department that oversees the Forest Service, stated, “You’ve got 40 million dead trees…you’re looking at a very serious situation.”

The USDA pledged Tuesday to send extra manpower as well as $30 million to clear dead trees near roads and campgrounds in preparation for a potentially catastrophic wildfire season in California. Secretary Vilsack also called on Congress to take action to assure that his agency has the resources to protect lives and keep forests healthy.

The California Department of Forestry, or Cal-Fire, has also added seasonal firefighters earlier in the year than normal.

In a press release, the USDA indicates that nationwide, the 2016 fire season has begun with five times more acres already burned than this time last year, following 2015's record-setting fire season.

The National Interagency Fire Center forecasts high fire potential for Southern California, among other areas, this summer.

Climate change has resulted in fire seasons that are 78 days longer than in 1980 and the number of acres burned annually has doubled since 1980, federal officials have indicated.

California suffered record fires last year, including the 76,000 Valley Fire in Lake, Napa and Sonoma Counties – the third most destructive blaze in the state’s history.  That fire killed four people and destroyed over 1,300 homes.

San Diego County still holds the record for the worst fire in California history with the 2003 Cedar Fire. Our region has suffered through many other severe fires including the devastating 2007 firestorms.

In a severe fire season across the West and here in California, resources can become stretched thin despite increased staffing.  So it’s particularly important for property owners to be prepared by clearing brush to create defensible space and taking other precautions to help protect your home.

You can learn more about how to protect your residence at http://www.readyforwildfire.org/


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