Hollister
– County and city fire officials are working together this month
to keep San Benito County residents and their homes safe this
summer, but many worry that above-average rainfall and tall grass
could create a tinderbox ripe for disaster.
”
It’s going to be huge,
”
said Hollister Fire Chief Bill Garringer.
”
There’s a bumper crop of weeds that could make fire spread
faster.
”
Hollister – County and city fire officials are working together this month to keep San Benito County residents and their homes safe this summer, but many worry that above-average rainfall and tall grass could create a tinderbox ripe for disaster.
“It’s going to be huge,” said Hollister Fire Chief Bill Garringer. “There’s a bumper crop of weeds that could make fire spread faster.”
Manuel Guerrero, a captain with the California Department of Forestry, said county fire officials will be watching the weather closely during fire season.
“We had a lot of rain this year, which means we have a lot of grass,” he said. “So it all depends on the weather.”
A dry summer, he said, could leave acres of tall, highly-flammable grass. Guerrero said firefighters would have a better idea of how risky the wildfire season could be after June.
Hollister had a near-record breaking number of rainy days in March caused by a westerly wind pattern that kept blowing storms into California from the Pacific Ocean. Since January, more than 10 inches of rain have fallen in Hollister, nearly 2 inches above average, according to National Weather Service Forecaster Steve Anderson.
CDF firefighters begin wildland fire training this month, but Guerrero said no date has been set for the commencement of fire season, typically starting in mid to late August and running through October.
Wildfires are a problem for both county and city residents, Guerrero said. Flying embers from a wildfire can travel miles and endanger city homes, he said. CDF will began its hazard abatement program later this month to make sure county homes are safe. Guerrero said homeowners should keep tall grass at least 100 feet away from structures, which is the amount of “defensible space” required by law.
“We don’t want grass to catch the structure on fire and we don’t want the structure to catch the grass on fire,” he said.
Guerrero also said homeowners should clean gutters and roofs of leaves and pine cones that can catch fire.
“Early detection and prevention are our best friends,” he said.
CDF will be hiring five additional full-time firefighters for wildfire season May 22 bringing the total number of county firefighters to seven, Guerrero said. In addition to the full-time firefighters, CDF will also get help from 18 to 25 volunteers, he said. CDF will be working closely this summer with Hollister firefighters through mutual and automatic aid agreements that allow both departments to work together on large fires, Garringer said.
“The idea is to attack it with as much as possible as soon as possible,” he said.
Hollister firefighters are also looking to prevent the spread of wildfires within city limits, Garringer said. The department’s weed abatement program will focus in on 295 vacant lots located throughout Hollister to make sure grass isn’t growing out of control. Lot owners have already been notified that they must cut their grass and till the soil before May 19 to avoid penalties.
The Hollister Fire department will work with a landscaping contractor to mow down the weeds and tall grass on the vacant lots of those landowners who fail to comply. In addition to facing a $150 administrative fee and landscaping costs, uncooperative landowners could also have a lien put on their property, Garringer said. He said most landowners comply with the abatement program and “less than 20” force the fire department to do the work for them.
Brett Rowland covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or
br******@fr***********.com
.
