Cal Fire says it’s preparing for critical fire risk across San Diego County by shifting resources from northern areas and canceling days off as Southern California faces dangerous Santa Ana winds and a red flag warning.
“We haven’t had any rain for many months,” said Cal Fire Battalion Chief John Clark. “Normally this time of year, we would have green grass and some of the brush would be coming alive and being wet. However, we're seeing very critical drought conditions and dry fuel moisture.”
Relevant content:
“We're prepared just as much as we were in the summertime just because of the conditions that we're seeing and the lack of rain,” he continued.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
Cal Fire said it moved 10 additional engines into San Diego County from counties further north in California and staffed up their air response as well.
“Normally this time of year, we would have just the one helicopter for mainly for rescues and in the event of the rare fire in January,” Clark said. “However, we do have both of our helicopters staffed for the county.”
Those additional resources will be in place — and the agency has also cancelled days off — indefinitely until the risk passes.
“We’re prepared to engage in any fires here that could start," Clark said.
That preparation was quickly put to the test Tuesday when a vegetation fire sparked in Julian. Crews at the Ramona Air Base mobilized within minutes, taking to the skies for water and retardant drops over the fire on Wynola Road, as firefighters battled it from the ground.
The fire was 100% contained within a few hours, kept to about 3.5 acres. Cal Fire said the cause was mowing equipment — the charred remnants of that lawn mower still smoldering in the smoke after the fire was out.
“Today is probably not the day to be doing any yard clearing, anything that may kindle a fire,” Cal Fire Captain Robert Johnson at the scene. “We do recommend and require the defensible space clearance around the house, but today, with the higher winds, the lower relative humidities, use of equipment and yard maintenance tools have the potential to ignite a fire.”
