MORGAN HILL, Calif. (KRON) -- Think it's too early for a big wildfire in the Bay Area? Think again.
Some Bay Area firefighters are preparing for a potentially busy weekend.
East Bay Hills
The East Bay Hills and the Diablo Range will be under a Red Flag Warning starting at 11 p.m. Friday.
Firefighters say this is very early in the season for a Red Flag Warning and that's even more reason for people to stay aware all weekend.
"It's very concerning. That lack of rain is a huge concern. We have early drought conditions."
The Oakland Hills fire in 1991 was in October -- that's the time of year firefighters are used to battling major fires. But Oakland Deputy Chief Nick Luby says that's changing.
Firefighters say this weekend to expect dry winds, leading to perfect conditions for a fire to get out of control.
Oakland Battalion Chief Chris Landry said they will have a full staff ready all weekend. They'll also be educating citizens in hopes they can avoid activities that could create higher risks for fires.
The Oakland Fire Department is in constant communication with neighboring departments and CAL Fire so they can better serve the community.
South Bay
The South Bay has seen its share of wildfires in recent years -- and it almost always starts with the grass. It's as if the Santa Clara Valley went from green to brown overnight.
The calendar says it's May, but the hills look more like June or July.
While not yet under a Red Flag Warning, the South Bay will see some wind this weekend and that has firefighters on high alert, says CAL Fire's Cole Periera.
Don't think it's too early for a big fire. 2008's Summit Fire, which burned 4,000 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains, broke out amid high winds on May 22.
The early fire season has CAL Fire adding more staff, which now includes the California National Guard, which are in training this week in CAL Fire's Santa Clara unit.
The recent flare-ups of hotspots from last summer's fires in the Santa Cruz Mountains suggest the heavier fuels are also drying out early, grass and other vegetation fires are the biggest threat right now.
Annual grasses and other so-called "ladder fuels" that can ignite homes and other structures are drying out a record four to six weeks ahead of normal.
from KRON4 https://ift.tt/3f06881
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