Drought brings wildfire concerns

A rare winter-like storm was only enough to buy just a few hours relief from the looming fire season.

As part of Wildfire Awareness Week, the region’s fire experts met at Hemet Ryan Air Attack Base to stress the potential existsfor a very difficult fire season ahead in Riverside County.

Already fire crews have fought twice the number of fires typical for this time of year.

Four years of drought has started fire season early and fire officials aren’t wasting any time getting ready.

“As good as we are, as much as our folks train, we are still going to be tested,” said Chief Kim Zagaris, California Office of Emergency Services.

It’s some of the most extreme fire conditions the state has faced.

“We’ve seen these past few months fires in different parts of California fires in elevations and on different slopes that should not have fires at that time of the year,” said Chief Shawna Legarza, director of fire and aviation for the U.S. Forest Service.

At the Hemet Ryan Air Attack Base, things have already been ramped up. Firefighting equipment that arrived months early is ready to go at a moment’s notice.

“We had 70 fire engines all over California throughout the winter, which is heard of. We’ve brought resources, fire engine, air tankers, helicopters,” said CAL FIRE Director Chief Ken Pimlott.

The drought not only has left local forests a dry tinderbox, it has taken away much-needed water supplies for fighting fires.

“There are many places in the rural environment that there may not be water for us to utilize in fire suppression,” said CAL FIRE Southern Region Chief Dale Hutchinson.

Lake Hemet, instrumental in fighting the Mountain and Silver fires, now sits at only 50 percent capacity.

“We used to sit right here with our camping stools and fish right where that plant line is,” said Mike Dicicco of Orange County.

Dicicco used to fish at Lake Hemet as a kid.

“It’s sad. I go to Lake Havasu a lot, too, and that’s really sad how low that is. The drought is really a scary thing,” said Dicicco.

Right now, the water line at Lake Hemet is down 30 feet.

“There is still enough water in Lake Hemet that we can work a fire very hard but that does have a downstream impact to the people of the water district,” said CAL FIRE Riverside County Chief John Hawkins.

“Water is at the end of the day, the best fire extinguishing tool that we have,” said Pimlott.

“They got to put out fire, but it would be better if we had more snowfall and more rain is all I can hope for,” said Dicicco.

Fire crews are also going to be utilizing other techniques that don’t involve water, like fire retardants and back fires. But at the end of the day, the best way to protect lives, CAL FIRE says, is to use water.

“We are going to take water for firefighting purposes as is needed to protect life and property. Let there be no question that that is what we will do,” said Hawkins.

CAL FIRE is also asking for the public’s help to prevent these potentially devastating fires from even starting. To find out more click here.