Fire agencies on alert during Red Flag Warning
Fire crews like the ones at the Waterloo-Morada Fire District are on high alert after high winds
By Carmela Karcher
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SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, California (KOVR) — High winds, high heat and low humidity are the trifecta that sparks a Red Flag Warning.
“We just came out of the rainy season, and we’ve had a few weeks now for some pretty dry weather with some winds, so it’s drying everything out,” Waterloo-Morada Fire District Chief Eric Walder said.
This Red Flag Warning spans as far north as Redding to as south as Modesto. In San Joaquin County, the highest threat of fire is being seen in the northern part of the region.
Because of that, fire crews like the ones at the Waterloo-Morada Fire District are on high alert.
“When we do have a Red Flag Warning, it alerts us that the conditions are right,” Chief Walder explained. “So, above and beyond our normal readiness, we could pre-position extra resources. We can also have more personnel come in.”
Crews are more than ready for the call, but there are ways you can help your local first responders before it’s too late.
“We’ve seen through this last fire season the dangers of having normal combustible plants and vegetation around your house, and that’s why the state is sort of moving to the new Zone Zero compliance, where five feet around the home should be down to non-combustibles,” Chief Walder said.
The region recieved a good amount of rain this past winter. It caused a lot of growth, so when the summer hits, that turns into larger fuel.
San Joaquin County has a weed abatement ordinance, which means weeds must be cut back and be below six inches.
As Chief Walder says, even the smallest spark can cause a huge blaze.
“Cigarette, ember, a chain dragging behind a trailer, anything’s going to start a spark, which is going to start the fire. We had had some rain, so we have a large grass crop this year,” Walder explained. “Right now, any field that’s dry can catch fire and can cause some problems with structure protection as well.”
He went on to say it is a bit early to see winds and conditions in May, but usually, once June hits, that’s when you can see these conditions worsen and those larger fires start sparking.
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