Bad wildfire season predicted with drought

The drought crisis in California could set the stage for a potentially devastating fire season.

Top-level officials gathered for Wildfire Awareness Week with the same message: be ready.

95 percent of the state’s wildfires get started by people’s carelessness or mistakes. That’s 95 percent of wildfires fire officials believe can be prevented by what you do today. With today’s drought climate, it’s more important than ever to act.

Already there has been over 1100 fires this year, that’s double the average. In the last 13 years, California’s had ten of the worst 20 fires in recorded history.

The Mountain and Silver fires charred nearly 50-thousand acres combined and destroyed dozens of homes. Both choked the valley with smoke and ash as well as sent a wall of debris into the wash.

“I think it’s going to be bad this year, I think there is going to be a lot of fires with all of the winds and no water,” said homeowner William Coyle.

Fire officials couldn’t agree more.

“Vegetation as large as conifer trees, large trees, brush, all of that, is ripe to burn and ripe to burn again this year at explosive rates,” said Cal Fire Director Chief Ken Pimlott.

Part of the reason is bark beetles. It turns once healthy evergreens into highly flammable fuel.

“We’re going to see stands of standing dead, red trees this summer. That’s going to increase the fire hazard in and around communities all across the state,” said Cal Fire Regional Manager Glenn Barley.

Bark beetles used to come out in late summer, but with the drought they now attack year-round ravaging forests as close as Idllywild.

“You’re not just talking about a handful of trees. You’re talking about thousands and thousands of acres of trees,” said tree removal expert Noah Whitney.

The danger lurks even here on the valley floor. Raymond Hernandez remembers in when flames knocked on his Palm Springs neighborhood door.

“I still remember as if it was yesterday,” said Hernandez. “I didn’t sleep very well that night, worried that an ember would leap from the trees down to where I lived.”

The wind whipped Chino Cone fire forced people from their homes in 2009.

“It is very scary. That is the closest I have every been to a fire for me, it was almost life threatening situation,” said Hernandez.

It’s a situation that fire officials want everyone’s help in preventing.

“People sometimes flicker their cigarette butts out the window and I am thinking boy that wasn’t smart,” said Hernandez.

Cal Fire recommends to clear defensible space around your property to give crews a chance to protect it.

“We have had to do fire breaks, basically grade around the edges of the property and keep weeds down so the fires wont jump into our property,” said Coyle.

Also replace dead lawn with drought tolerant plants.

“We should be more aware of these risk factors,” said Hernandez.

Keep in mind equipment used to cut away dry brush can also spark a fire.

To learn about how to build a defensible space around your home click here.