SAN DIEGO — There has been an abundance of rainfall this season, in fact, San Diego County is 2.5" above our 30-year average.
The greenery may look beautiful now but the rains will stop and it will all dry out, and that has CAL FIRE very concerned.
Before the past two rain seasons ,San Diego was suffering from a three-year drought that killed off a lot of the chaparral, according to Brent Pascua, Fire Captain with CAL FIRE.
"That dead fuel is still there. It might be mixed in with the greener brush now but come Summer that all combines together and if it gets an ignition source it could be very dangerous," Pascua said.
And as important as the seasonal rain is, it's also part of the problem.
"That cycle comes where we get all the rain, we get new growth in the grass and brush. And then we get the heat of the Summer and it dies off and becomes fuel for fire," he said.
Pascua says the above-average rain over the past two rainy seasons and the surprise rain from Hilary in August have helped grow the brush.
"We're seeing a lot of growth. We did last year with the rain we got, and then also that burst in August we got more growth. We Have to stay on top of clearing brush from around our homes," he said.
It's the build-up of fuels that makes wildfires so dangerous.
"That compaction of fuels makes us very concerned. We always like to tell people stay up on your defensible space around your home. You don't want to get that compaction," Pascua said.
That defensible space is clearing dead brush and grasses 100 feet away from your home to give Fire Fighter a chance to save your home. You should also harden your home against Wildfire.
"Home hardening consists of fire-resistant vents and rain gutters, non-combustible sections of fence that butt up against your house to separate your home in case of Wildfire," Pascua said.
And as green and pretty as the open spaces are right now hot dry conditions are not far off.
"Our east county areas seem to dry out quicker and faster. With the weather they are susceptible to the higher winds, so we keep a really close eye on the areas in the east county," he said.
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