Firefighters Gearing Up For Possibly One Of 'Worst Fire Seasons Ever'

Northern California received significant rainfall over the winter, thanks to El Nino, but that doesn't mean that we're out of the woods for wildfires.

In fact, a fast-moving grass fire on Mt. Diablo Monday roared through 49 acres in just two hours and came dangerously close to homes. 

• Mt. Diablo Fire Roars Across 49 Acres (Update)

The grass and brush that grew tall and lush during the rainy season is now dry, providing ample fuel for wildfires.

"It is important for residents to maintain good general fire safe practices," Joe Testa, Deputy Chief of Livermore Pleasanton Fire Department told Patch.  Mowing dried grasses should be done in the morning hours using equipment that has spark arrestors. Outdoor cooking/barbecuing should be done with caution, always attended to and fires turned off and/or extinguished when the cooking is done."

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Another fuel for wildfires is dead trees. Calfire spokesman Daniel Berlant said Monday, "Trees are dying off in the millions because of a lack of water and because of an infestation of bark beetles." He recommends that you have dead trees removed from your property immediately.

The tall grass and dead trees scenario that Berlant cited was echoed down in Southern California by Riverside fire Chief Michael Moore,"So some of our annual crops, our grass, are a lot higher than they previously have been. We do still have some of our dead trees in the local mountains that will create problems for us, so we're expecting, as you have heard before, one of the worst fire seasons ever."

Calfire's Berlant noted that 279 wildfires burned in California last week. All but five were out. 

Burn permits have been suspended in 13 counties already, most in the Sierra and Southern California. The closest county to the Bay Area to suspend permits is Monterey.

Calfire recommends:

• have multiple evacuation routes planned
• have a family communication plan, including an out-of-state contact
• have an evacuation kit ready

Images via Livermore Pleasanton Fire Department and Confire