California Professional Firefighters

Another Long Hot Summer in 2010?

It's already started: LA County firefighters work a fast-moving blaze near Lancaster just this past July. (Photo: Jeff Zimmerman)

Rainfall means more fuel to burn during peak fire season

For California's first responders, "the warm California sun" means more than beaches, barbecues and surfing: Too often means it means weeks logged on strike teams, battling massive blazes in the state's tinder-dry wildlands.

In 2010, milder temperatures and relatively normal rainfall have given rise to hopes that the state might be spared the worst this summer and autumn. But state officials, weather experts and fire behavior specialists have a sobering response: Don't bet on it.

"We're just now starting to enter into peak fire season, and over the next couple months, we'll really hit our extreme period," said Kim Zagaris, Fire and Rescue Chief with the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA).

These peak months - June through November - have borne witness to some of the most catastrophic fires in this or any other state. The 2003 Southern California Firestorm consumed more than 750,000 acres. Since 2005, the average loss to wildland fires in California has been nearly 800,000 acres. And, warned Zagaris, "We're not out of the woods by a long shot."

Anatomy of a California Wildfire

The conditions that put California at risk in 2010 are the same ones that have plagued the state for most of the last decade: weather, fuel and topography.

Weather: Throughout many areas of California, rainfall has indeed been at or above normal. But eight of the past 12 years have experienced low rainfall, and much of Southern California, along with large areas of northeast and central California, remain tinder dry. "We've kind of superficially wetted the surface with this last rainy year," said Eric Boldt, warnings coordinating meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. "But overall, we still have a drought going on across Southern California."

Fuel: Ironically, 2010's higher rain totals may actually increase the risk. The rain has brought with it a bumper crop of tall grasses - lush in the spring, but dangerous when dry. These dry grasses can quickly ignite hot-burning older growth vegetation. "Really, the largest promoter of wildfire spread is those light, flashy fuels that transition into the larger fuels," said LA Co. Fire Captain Drew Smith, who serves as the county's fire behavior analyst. "When you put fire to (those fuels), it's very hard to control because of the energy that's released."

Topography: While rainfall and fuel loads may vary from year to year, California's topography remains the same - deserts and valleys backed up against the craggy Sierra and Coastal mountain ranges. The natural landscape creates a perfect heat container when the strong Santa Ana winds come blowing in during the summer and fall. "You're pushing air down the mountain slope and that's an energy that's heating up that air," said Boldt. "Temperatures climb into the 90s maybe 100 degrees ... and humidity can drop rapidly down into single digits."

Protecting Lives and Property

California's high-risk topography has seen one dramatic change over the last two decades: There are a lot more houses on it.

The expansion of the wildland-urban interface has become the major challenge facing the California fire service. Since 2005, the nearly 500 major fires have destroyed nearly 7,000 structures. Only four civilians have died, but two-dozen firefighters have lost their lives, many while engaged in structure protection.

"Homes are not always spread apart ... a lot of times, they're very tight," said Smith. "That's when you get a great amount of structure loss because of improper outside storage or inadequate brush clearance."

With new homes still going up even during the economic downturn, firefighting in the WUI places special pressure on California's exceptional - and exceptionally stressed - mutual aid system. Thanks to a poor economy and devastating local cuts, firefighters answering the call this summer will likely be forced to do more with less.

"Our system is being tested," said Zagaris. "Agencies are laying off people, not backfilling retirement or flat out closing stations. It's becoming very hard."

Staying Safe

With so many different forces arrayed against them, it's essential that firefighters rely on their training and keep their wits about them. Situational awareness, and a realistic assessment of the risks associated with a structure attack, are the keys to returning home safe.

"Put fire behavior first and make time a significant factor in your safety," says Smith. "Where is the fire at, what's it doing, and how long before it jeopardizes you and your crew."