SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Local fire agencies are preparing for an increase in calls as critical fire weather develops Thursday and Friday in Northern California.
It all comes on the heels of the first 100 degree temperatures of the year, which is continuing to dry out lower elevation fuels like grasses.
Late season rain in April and May helped slow the growing fire danger the valley was seeing after record dry conditions January through March, but Captain Keith Wade, spokesperson for the Sacramento Fire Department, said they are now seeing an uptick in calls for grass and vegetation fires as recent heat dries out fuels like grasses.
Wade said they are getting calls to respond to at least five to ten grass fires every day as the weather transitions to the dry season and warming weather blankets the valley.
A lot of these fires are human caused, and Wade said some of them are due to people experiencing homelessness but others are due to people who are trying to do an everyday activities outside, like mow their lawn. He said if the equipment hits a rock, it can spark a fire and grow out of control, resulting in a call to 911 for help.
Another activity that has been known to spark a fast spreading fire is barbecuing. Winds can carry hot embers to nearby dry grass or wooden fences. Wade said people should keep good defensible space around any open flame. They should also keep kids and pets at a safe distance.
He said even a tree fire with some underbrush that catches fire can quickly spread across someone's property or their fences, moving to their homes and leading to a fully involved structure fire. These are just some of the reasons Wade stresses to stay informed and away from activities that can spark a fire.
The increase in fire calls is happening just as firefighters are completing their annual wildland refresher training in preparation for the summer months. The training enables them to assist other agencies and Cal Fire when responding to larger fires that typically occur during the summer months.
Wade said, when staff is sent out to bigger fires, they start to feel the strain, especially since they are on duty for 48-hour shifts and still responding to all the EMS calls and other emergencies.
He said summer months tend to be a period when vacation requests are higher and staffing can be stretched. However, he said, when members join the fire service, they take the oath to be on call and ready to respond. That's how they are able to keep the doors open in fire stations.
However, Wade is seeing a decrease in numbers of potential new recruits. He they are looking at new methods to garner more interest, like a TikTok account, to bring the idea of firefighting to younger people.
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