Editorial: Fire season is year-round

Extra rain during the first half of 2011 has created a new layer of fire danger for the second half of the year — at least until wet weather returns in late October or early November.

That assessment comes from Battalion Chief Pete Munoa, who is fire marshal for the county of Napa and CalFire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa district.

“The potential for a significant wildland fire is greater, due to the amount of vegetation that has grown this year and due to a lack of fire last year,” Munoa said. “Once ignited, we could sustain control issues.”

That’s why it’s so important to protect homes from wildland fires by clearing property 100 feet from structures. 

The St. Helena Fire Department requires mowing and maintaining the height of grass and weeds to no higher than 2 inches, and removing dry debris piles. In rural areas, creating a “defensible space” around your home means clearing dry grass, brush, dead leaves and debris for 100 feet around structures and 15 feet on each side of a road or access drive. The city’s weed abatement ordinance can be found on the city’s website (ci.st-helena.ca.us) under Municipal Code Section 15.36.080.

Not only does clearing property prevent fire from reaching your structures, it also gives firefighters enough space to defend your home successfully.

Firefighters need all the help they can get. Due to state budget cuts, there’s only enough funding for three firefighters on each of the 31 engines in the department, Munoa said. Until this year, there were four per engine.

And, if fires in Southern California demand the support of Northern California firefighters, local units will be summoned, reducing the number of engines available locally, Munoa said.

Munoa said the fire “season” is actually year-round. 

Clearing brush away from property, he said, is “a way of life, a way to do business in California, due to the changes we are experiencing.

“If people are not vigilant, they can cause a devastating wildfire than can impact neighborhoods and the community,” he added.

Today’s column by UC Master Gardener Denise Seghesio Levine, on page B7, gives tips on how to clear property and how to plant fire-resistant vegetation.

Another great source of fire safety information is the Napa Fire Wise website (napafirewise.org), which gives tips when you select the “defensible space” tab.

Munoa also advises folks to check out public fireworks displays on Monday. Although “safe and sane” fireworks are legal within St. Helena city limits, he advises that “with any type of device that sets off sparks and flames, you have a potential for a fire to start, and for human injury.

Nature News Blog: California fires from space

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