Firefighters raise staffing levels at area stations
With temperatures on the rise this weekend, the danger for fires are climbing just as fast.
According to the National Weather Service, today should reach a high of 96 and Saturday will see temperatures hit 100. A cooling trend is expected by Monday with highs reaching the low 80s by the end of the next week.
Whenever the area sees highs climb into the 100s, firefighters are put on a red flag alert.
According to Chris Morgan of the California Department of Forestry, staffing will be beefed up to meet any threat.
“We are staffing additional people,” he said. “There will be two additional engines and extra staff on the engines.”
Morgan says that this is done on a standard basis. Whenever the weather gets hot, they bring on reserves as a precaution.
CDF has been responding to fires throughout the area, but mainly along the freeways. Morgan says that there have been more than a dozen along Highway 152 at Pacheco Pass and Highway 101 during the past week.
The dry grass along the highways are especially thick from the late rains, and they are providing extra fuel.
“We have kept the fires small, but they are burning very intense,” said Morgan.
Because of the high temperatures, local camp grounds could have restrictions on camp fires.
Uvas Canyon Park has limited fires to only charcoal for the entire summer. Henry Coe State Park and Mount Madonna County Park still allow campfires, but campers are being asked to check with rangers because conditions could change day to day.
“We don’t allow any open flame whenever the CDF issues a red flag warning,” said Senior Park Ranger John Heenan from Mount Madonna.
CDF asks that people use extreme caution this weekend. With all the dry grass, people can easily start a fire by doing that may not seem dangerous.
“The biggest problem is from people trying to do good by mowing dead grass and weeds,” said Morgan. “If they decide to start mowing, do it early, no later than 10 a.m. And don’t pull off into the grass with vehicles.”
He adds that everyone should use common sense. The area has a lot of dry grass and plenty of homes to get a fire going.
A small grass fire broke out Tuesday morning that burned a quarter-acre and threatened one home on the 18500 block of Murphy Springs Court in northwest Morgan Hill.
South County Fire, County Fire and the CDF responded at 10:13 and had the fire under control 20 minutes of their arrival. They took just over an hour to extinguish the fire completely.
Four engines were called out to the fire. An air attack was called out, but the firefighters were able to contain the fire fast enough that it was not needed, said Morgan.
The fire burned grass, brush and a few trees.
Residents in a home within feet of the fire were forced to leave their home, but were able to return after an hour.
According to the Incident Commander George Hurst, the the fire appeared to be accidental. The exact cause has not been determined.
Because of the high heat, demands on air conditioning units will rise. PG&E recommends that homeowners have their units checked. They recommend that on a regular basis to hire a technician to come for service.
PG&E recommends that any air conditioning units more than 10 years old be replaced. When purchasing a unit, try to buy one that will be appropriate for the home; a unit that is too big will waste money and energy.
Regular maintenance on air conditioners can save money on energy bills. They also recommend that people set thermostats for at least 78 when they’re home, and raise it to 85 when away. Curtains, drapes, and shades should remain closed during the day.
Aside from the air conditioning unit, there are other ways to ensure that the some stays cool and energy is not wasted. Whenever possible use fans to cool down a room and open windows when outside temperatures are cooler than inside. People can install windows that won’t let heat escape and fixing any insulation that is old.
Details: 1-800-955-9333 or www.pge.com/foryourgome
