Though wildfire danger won’t hit full tilt until late this
summer, it’s never too earlier to prepare for the worst.
Though wildfire danger won’t hit full tilt until late this summer, it’s never too earlier to prepare for the worst.
Like most natural disasters people often are lulled into a false sense of security, believing fire won’t threaten their homes until it’s right at the doorstep – far too late to do anything meaningful to stop the approaching flames.
The wet winter months, especially in March and April, have provided plenty of water for weeds and grasses to grow tall throughout San Benito County and the city of Hollister. As the searing summer heat dries the foliage throughout the summer months, it provides the perfect tinder for a simple spark to burst into a raging inferno. To combat the threat, city and county fire officials ask residents to cut the tall grass on their empty lots and create a defensible space around their homes of at least 100 ft. It’s a good start, but residents can do a little more to improve their safety like removing wood piles away from their homes if they live near open spaces where the grass grows tall and clearing out dried leaves and pine cones from their rain gutters. Anyone who thinks they may be at serious risk or has other questions about how to prepare their home should call the California Department of Forestry at 637-4475
And as the summer heat strikes with a vengeance, locals will need to practice a little common sense in their behavior such as putting out cigarettes in their ashtrays while they drive instead of flicking them out the window without a care in the world and not leaving their charcoal barbecues unattended on a windy day. Most wildfires, especially near urban areas, are caused by man, not nature.
Let’s not forget it was only in 2002, that the Croy fire scorched more than 33,000 acres and destroyed 34 homes in South Valley just north of Morgan Hill. Firefighters determined that blaze was caused by unlikely suspect – an illegally installed solar panel unit in a country home. The total cost for the Croy Fire was about $9 million.
That fire unexpectedly happened then and a similar blaze can definitely happen again. The stage is set for a disastrous wildfire season in 2006 – all that is really needed is some complacent landowners and a carelessly-caused spark or unattended flame – to wreak havoc on our lives. Be vigilant and be prepared for fires this summer, then cross your fingers that they never ignite.
