http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/county_n...091515,00.html

Fire season could be severe this year in Southern California
Hillside brush driest in last 108 years

By Sandi Wells, Guest writer
July 6, 2003

Typically, the No. 1 question asked of the fire department is, "How
bad will fire season be?"

Each year fire season in Southern California has the potential to be
severe. The brush on our hillsides is quickly becoming the driest in
the 108 years that such information has been recorded. Accumulated
growth of grass due to late winter and spring rains, and the rapid
die-off of plants indicate a busy fire season. With seasonal hot, dry
and windy weather, the hills around us can explode in flames.

The Ventura County Fire Department entered fire season on June 1,
about two weeks later than the traditional May opening day due to the
late precipitation.

As fire season opens, firefighters respond to wild-land fires on hot,
dry days with more fire equipment. This aggressive response keeps many
wild-land fires from becoming out of control. Although our county has
experienced several large wildfires in the past few years, much of the
older, thick brush that remains has not burned in a very long time.
This unburned brush creates a heavy fuel load, making this season one
of the most potentially dangerous in a great many years.

Fire season 2002 was relatively quiet, with 198 vegetation fires
consuming close to 225 acres. The largest fire of the season was the
150-acre Fillmore river bottom fire. The majority of the year's fires
were accidental. In contrast to last year, 1993 brought the Southern
California "firestorms" in which 85,000 acres were consumed by fire in
Ventura County, the majority of those acres in the Greenmeadow Fire in
Thousand Oaks.

As blazes are racing across the Southwestern United States, extremely
high energy-release components (the rate at which fires burn) are
being recorded. Brush in Ventura County is exhibiting the same
characteristics as that in the Southwest. On recent controlled or
prescription burns in Ventura County, fire behavior has been similar
to that which is seen normally in October.

Ventura County offers the opportunity for many of us to reside on
hillsides and in a "wildland urban interface" environment. Along with
the beauty of these areas comes the very real threat of wild-land
fires.

To reduce this threat, the Ventura County Fire Department, with the
support of the county Board of Supervisors, has been instrumental in
the creation of a county ordinance that makes brush clearance for a
distance of 100 feet from any structure in these wild-land areas
mandatory. The 100-foot buffer creates an area for firefighters to
protect homes and actually slows the progress of the fire. More than
17,000 notices have been sent to residents in these areas, with 99.6
percent compliance. This number reflects residents' understanding of
the need for such protection.

Residents can assist themselves and the fire department by clearing
brush, replacing wood shake shingle roofs with fire-resistant
materials and preparing themselves for a potentially devastating fire
season. Community members can also assist firefighters by remembering
that fireworks are illegal in the county of Ventura with the exception
of the city of Fillmore. Fireworks are responsible for starting a
large number of brushfires.

Will this fire season become the most treacherous in more than 100
years? Many signs already point to yes. Preparation by residents and
the fact that our firefighters are the most highly trained and capable
in the United States will certainly make the difference between
tragedy and survival.